Jordan Davis Murder Trial Update: Jury Continues Deliberations as Michael Dunn Awaits Fate
Friday saw the continued deliberation by the jury in the trial against Michael Dunn, who is charged with the murder of Jordan Davis and the attempted murder of his three friends. The jury will continue deliberations Saturday at 9 a.m. and, if they continue to consider the charges and evidence without reaching a verdict, the judge has agreed to proceed into Sunday.
Michael Dunn, 47, is charged with the murder of Jordan Davis, an African-American teenager who was 17 years old when he was shot and killed in November 2012 at a Florida gas station. Dunn's defense team argues that Davis threatened Dunn with a shotgun and had exited his vehicle. Dunn shot him in self-defense, his attorneys argue.
According to The Florida Times-Union, the jury deliberated until 7 p.m., when they notified acting Circuit Judge Russell Healey that they "had hit a wall" and will continue deliberations in the morning. The judge gave the jury the options to choose first-degree murder, second-degree murder or the lesser charge of manslaughter.
The judge praised the jury for their seriousness. Before dismissing the jury, he said, "This is one admirable group. They are clearly taking this thing as seriously as they should. And I couldn't be more proud of them for how hard they are working." Friday afternoon the jury had asked the judge whether they could reach a verdict on one count but not another and the judge answered yes. CNN also reports on Thursday the jury asked to watch the surveillance video from the gas station, which contains 20 minutes of footage from different angles.
The trial, which bears resemblance to George Zimmerman's, focuses on an armed white man who allegedly shoots an unarmed black teenager and uses the Stand Your Ground law as a defense. However, Dunn's defense attorney, Cory Strolla, does not believe there are similarities. In his client's case, the police charged him as soon as they learned he committed the crime, his attorney told CNN.
The Times-Union reports that outside the courthouse a group of 20 or so protestors have been waiting for the verdict. Among them Davis's parents, who hope the verdict will come Saturday rather than Sunday, which happens to be their son's birthday.