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George Zimmerman not guilty: What’s next?By?Amy Pavuk, Orlando Sentinel10:58 a.m. EDT,?July 14, 2013As many Americans woke up today to the news that a?Seminole County?jury found?George Zimmerman?not guilty of second-degree murder in?Trayvon Martin's death, legal commentators, activists and the public are asking: What's next?What will George Zimmerman's next steps be? What will Trayvon's family do?"He is still processing the reality or notion of being a free man," Zimmerman's brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr. told CNN on Saturday. "He has some de-compressing to do, and he has to align himself with himself again as the free George."Trayvon's father, Tracy Martin, took to Twitter in the moments after the verdict."Even though I am broken hearted my faith is unshattered I WILL ALWAYS LOVE MY BABY TRAY," he tweeted.After deliberating for 15 hours over two days, the six-member Seminole County jury found Zimmerman acted in self-defense when he fatally shot Trayvon on Feb. 26, 2012 in a?Sanford?gated community.Their verdict, reached about 10 p.m. Saturday, came after weeks of testimony and evidence presented in the case.Now, the focus seems to be shifting to rallies and events in the upcoming days, and an examination of both Florida law, and whether the?U.S. Department of Justice?should conduct a civil rights investigation.Supporters of Trayvon plan a rally at 3 p.m. today outside the Seminole County courthouse.On?NBC's Meet the Press Sunday, the Rev.?Al Sharpton questioned Florida's "stand your ground" law, saying he considers it an "atrocity" than an unarmed child could be killed and the shooter successfully claim self-defense."Clearly, there are grounds for civil rights charges here," Sharpton said. The verdict, he added, "does not exhaust the legal options of this family."Sharpton, who, along with the?Rev. Jesse Jackson, led thousands in marches and rallies in Sanford following Trayvon's death, said he's heading back to Sanford."I will convene an emergency call with preachers tonight to discuss next steps and I intend to head to Florida in the next few days," Sharpton said in a statement late Saturday.Zimmerman's defense argued he acted in self-defense when he shot 17-year-old Trayvon because the teen punched him in the nose and hammered his head against the sidewalk.The verdict was a disappointment for Trayvon's parents and their supporters, who have called for Zimmerman to be prosecuted and convicted in the teen's death.The?NAACP?is holding its national conference in Orlando this week, and while leaders said there said they would not have a presence in Sanford before the verdict, they weighed in after it was reached."We are outraged and heartbroken over today's verdict," Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP said in a statement late Saturday. "We stand with Trayvon's family and we are called to act. We will pursue civil rights charges with the Department of Justice, we will continue to fight for the removal of Stand Your Ground laws in every state, and we will not rest until racial profiling in all its forms is outlawed."NAACP Florida State Conference President Adora Obi Nweze said "justice did not prevail," in the case."Last year we pushed for the arrest of George Zimmerman and a thorough investigation and trial. Today, we are still called to act," she said. "No one should be allowed to use this law to commit a senseless crime again."Trayvon's family wasn't in the Seminole County courtroom when the verdict was announced, but they took to social media soon after to express their reaction.Trayvon's mother, Sybrina Fulton, tweeted: "Lord during my darkest hour I lean on you. You are all that I have. At the end of the day, GOD is still in control. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I will love you forever Trayvon!!! In the name of Jesus!!!"Trayvon's father, Tracy Marin, tweeted seconds after the verdict was read: "God blessed Me & Sybrina with Tray and even in his death I know my baby proud of the FIGHT we along with all of you put up for him GOD BLESS."Celebrities, civil rights activists and athletes also took to their social media accounts to react to the verdict.Shaquille O'Neal, who played for the?Orlando Magic?and?Miami Heat?among several other teams, tweeted shortly after: "George Zimmerman not guilty can u believe that. Wow."Jonathan Vilma, a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints who played his college ball at the University of Miami, tweeted: "I get if you're mad about the verdict. I don't get going out and looting/rioting 5min from where you live. Be constructive not destructive."Zimmerman did not speak after the verdict, and defense attorney?Mark O'Mara?did not give details as to what's next for his client.O'Mara indicated Zimmerman would be taking a step back from the public spotlight and taking time to relax."We are ecstatic with the results," O Mara said after the verdict late Saturday. "George Zimmerman was never guilty of anything except protecting himself in self-defense.""He spent 16 months of being – some people called him the most hated man in America – a man who believes in the system whose dad was a judge…and then he gets prosecutors that charge him with a crime they could never ever prove."Stephen Hudak?contributed to this report. ................
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