Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.JUST WATCHEDReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH Story highlightsDefense lawyer apologizes for telling joke during opening statementsFather of Trayvon Martin cries in courtroom; George Zimmerman shows no emotionDid Zimmerman commit 2nd degree murder when he killed Martin? Or was it self-defense? 62% in a CNN poll say the charges against Zimmerman are "probably" or "definitely" trueJUST WATCHEDReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH JUST WATCHEDReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH Fast facts: Trayvon Martin shooting JUST WATCHEDReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH All-female jury to try ZimmermanJudge: No state expert testimony on 911 callsAbout the only thing that everyone agrees on is what Trayvon Martin was carrying when he died. There were his clothes, including a black hooded top with a badge pinned to it showing a picture of his dead cousin. There was his cellphone, on which he had been talking to a friend. In his pockets were a cigarette lighter, some earphones, a can of Arizona watermelon fruit juice cocktail, a little over $40 in cash, a bag of Skittles he'd just bought from a nearby 7-Eleven, and no weapon of any kind.

Whether or not you believe George Zimmerman, the neighbourhood-watch co-ordinator who says he shot Martin in self-defence, these don't sound like instruments of burglary. Indeed, the Skittles especially, with their bright playground colours and "Taste the Rainbow" slogan, have become a symbol of Martin's innocence. He may have been suspended from school at the time, and had traces of cannabis in his blood, but when you look behind the appearance of a menacing black teenager, those Skittles say, you find the child inside. Since the killing, as pressure grew for Zimmerman to face a murder charge, and now in the outrage over his acquittal, bags of Skittles have become the protesters' flag. They have been waved, hung round necks, taped over mouths and even glued to placards, often combined with hoodies and sweet drinks. Packets were bought and sold to raise campaign funds, or posted to Bill Lee, chief of the Sanford police department, which declined to charge Zimmerman for so long.

Conversely, Skittles are now a point of attack for those who believe that Martin was one of those rare unarmed 17-year-olds who can be dangerous enough to merit killing. The Skittles and the drink he bought, some have suggested, could have been ingredients to make lean (AKA sizzurp or purple drank), a homemade drug based on cough medicine that might cause aggressive and irrational behaviour if overused. (The fact that Sprite and Jolly Ranchers are more usual, and that Martin didn't have any cough medicine, are also worth considering.) The Wrigley Company, which makes Skittles, has kept wisely quiet about the uncomfortable but lucrative position that it finds itself in, saying only that it would be "inappropriate" to get involved. Zimmerman's 9mm Kel-Tec handgun will now be returned to him. But when the Seminole County criminal justice centre has finished with Martin's still-unopened bag of Skittles, it belongs in a museum.Making an impression: Don West was first introduced to much of America on Monday when he gave the opening statement in the George Zimmerman murder trial

George Zimmerman's defense attorney shocked many on the first day of the controversial murder trial by breaking out a knock knock joke. where can you buy bucked up hoodiesThough the unusual move left a jarring first impression for the thousands watching the trial online, many in the Florida legal community already very familiar with attorney Don West.Mr West was brought on the legal team defending George Zimmerman against his second degree murder charges in the Trayvon Martin case in May. sweatshirt wholesale in bangaloreHe is known for his experience dealing with high-profile murder cases, including some of the most notorious killers the Sunshine State has ever seen. nols hoodieOne of his biggest victories in the past came in 1998 when he argued that a motorcycle gang member named Joseph 'Crazy Joe' Spaziano should avoid death row after he was convicted of raping and murdering a teenager. new york jets hoodie deutschland

According to The Orlando Sentinel, he represented Lou Pearlman, the manager of 1990s boy bands like the Backstreet Boys and N'Sync, when he was in court on various fraud charges. edelbrock hoodiesHe has been selected as one of the state's Super Lawyers (by the magazine of the same title) four of the last seven years.american giant hoodie yelp Counsel: West was brought on to the case by Zimmerman's original lawyer, Mark O'Mara as the two are friends Mr West has served as the head of such groups like the Central Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. familiarity with Florida law- which comes from his thirty years of experience working in Orlando- will certainly be a bonus in the case as the state's controversial 'Stand Your Ground' laws are expected to come

into play in the trial. Zimmerman was not arrested for one month after the shooting, with officers initially feeling that the law justified the action. before the trial, co-counsel Mark O'Mara said that they will be approaching the case as a simple- yet tragic- situation where self defense ended in a death, and they will actively avoid the racial undertones that have been so closely tied to the case. Former clients: Music mogul Lou Pearlman (left) was charged with various forms of wire fraud and a motorcycle gang member called Joseph 'Crazy Joe' Spaziano (right) who was charged with rape and murder Making him sweat: West's awkward knock knock joke at the trial was cringe-worthy but he recovered slowly 'We're trying so hard in this case not to make it what everybody outside the courthouse wants it to be,' O'Mara said.When it was announced that Mr West would be leaving his job at the federal public defender's office to join Zimmerman's legal team with O'Mara, who is a longtime friend.