Special prosecutor Angela Corey says she will not bring the Trayvon Martin shooting death before a grand jury.
By Sevil Omer, msnbc.com
Updated at 12:54 p.m. ET: A special prosecutor has ruled out the use of a grand jury in the Trayvon Martin case.
State Attorney Angela Corey?s decision is not to be considered a factor in whether charges are eventually brought against George Zimmerman, Corey's office said in a statement.?
The grand jury, which was scheduled by a previous prosecutor,?was set to convene on Tuesday in Sanford, Fla. ?
That means the decision whether to prosecute Zimmerman, 28, for Martin?s death now rests with Corey?s office. The case is also under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI.
Martin, a 17-year-old from Miami Gardens, was shot to death?by Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer,?at a gated community in Sanford on Feb. 26. Though Martin was unarmed, Zimmerman has claimed self-defense, telling police Martin attacked him.
"From the moment she was assigned, Ms. Corey noted she may not need a grand jury," according to a statement released from Corey's office. "At this time, the investigation continues and there will be no further comment from this office.?
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The case has led to protests and sparked debate nationwide about race and the laws of self-defense, particularly Florida?s controversial ?Stand Your Ground? law, which gives Floridians the right to use deadly force to defend themselves in public places without first trying to escape.?Martin was black; Zimmerman's father is white and his mother is Hispanic.
The Martin family and their lawyer, Benjamin Crump, have claimed the teen wasn't the aggressor, saying his race played a role in the fatal shooting.
"We are not surprised by this 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," said a statement released by Martin's attorney.
"The family has been patient throughout this process and asks that those who support them do the same during this very important investigation."
No charges have been filed in the case.?
Also on Monday, one protest forced the temporary closing of the Sanford Police Department offices after six demonstrators blocked the entrance to the building, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
"The city of Sanford hopes the actions of the students will be as peaceful and orderly as the previous rallies and marches have been," City Manager Norton Bonaparte Jr. said in a statement, according to the Sentinel.
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