Zimmerman defense team walks difficult line

SANFORD, Fla. -- George Zimmerman's lead attorney will be walking a fine line as he tries to convince jurors that his client didn't murder Trayvon Martin: He needs to show why Zimmerman felt threatened by the unarmed African-American teenager while avoiding the appearance that either he or his client is racist.

Because there is no dispute that Zimmerman shot Martin, 17, during a fight on a rainy night in February 2012, Mark O'Mara must convince the jury that Zimmerman pulled his 9-mm handgun and fired a bullet into the Miami-area high school student's chest because he feared for his life and that the fear was caused by Martin's actions, not his race.

Jury selection begins Monday in the second-degree murder trial, which is expected to last about six weeks. Under Florida law, Zimmerman, 29, could lawfully shoot Martin in self-defense if it was necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm.

O'Mara has to be careful how he characterizes Martin, said Randy McClean, an Orlando-area defense attorney.

"Mr. O'Mara's challenge is to show Trayvon wasn't profiled, that Zimmerman either saw something that looked suspicious or something else that caused him to make contact with Trayvon."

The challenge for prosecutors seeking a second-degree murder conviction is that they must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman's actions demonstrated a "depraved mind" that didn't consider the threat his actions had toward human life. -- AP