JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida State Attorney Angela Corey announced Monday that a grand jury will not be convened in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, but said the investigation into the African American teen’s slaying would continue.
“The decision should not be considered a factor in the final determination of the case,” Corey’s office wrote in a press release, noting that the grand jury, which was set to meet Tuesday, had been scheduled by the former prosecutor overseeing the criminal probe.
Corey’s announcement means that she will be the only person who decides whether or not to bring charges in the case.
The unarmed Martin was shot and killed in a gated community in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26 by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, who claims he was acting in self-defense.
Zimmerman’s lack of arrest has sparked nationwide protests by civil rights activists who claim race has been a factor in the investigation into Martin’s death.
“We are not surprised by [Corey’s] announcement and, in fact, are hopeful that a decision will be reached very soon to arrest George Zimmerman and give Trayvon Martin’s family the simple justice they have been seeking all along,” Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Martin’s family, said in a statement.
Corey gave no reason for her decision to eschew the grand jury Monday.
In Florida, prosecutors are only required to obtain grand jury indictments on charges that could lead to the death penalty.
Had Corey stuck with the grand jury, 15 to 21 grand jurors convened in the case would have decided whether there was probable cause to indict Zimmerman and bring him to trial.
Under Florida’s grand jury system, prosecutors present evidence and call witnesses to testify against an uncharged suspect. The accused is not permitted to introduce evidence in his or her own defense.
Only 12 grand jurors have to agree that there is probable cause to indict the suspect.
Zimmerman’s attorney Hal Uhrig said he viewed Corey’s decision not to convene a grand jury as a favorable development for his client.
“I’m more confident in [Corey] to understand the law and not to bow to the loudest voices in the crowd,” Uhrig said, according to FOX News Channel.
Uhrig also said Zimmerman has yet to be interviewed by Corey and that he was still hoping she would ultimately decide not to charge his client.
Meanwhile, protesters blocked the Sanford Police Department’s entrance Monday morning upon learning that a grand jury would not be convened, prompting the police headquarters to close to the public for several hours.
Protesters left the station after city officials agreed to hold a meeting with community leaders to discuss how the city plans to heal from the Trayvon Martin affair.
Corey also talked to the protesters over the phone and gave assurances that the investigation was continuing, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Gov. Rick Scott replaced former lead prosecutor Norm Wolfinger with Corey on March 22, the same day Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee temporarily stepped down amid sharp criticism of his department’s handling of the case.