The prosecution and defense in the George Zimmerman trial exchanged more than just questions for the witnesses Tuesday.
[Editor's note: Click the linked text to read the live update summary from that moment in court.]
Stricken Testimony
The day began with the court hearing a motion from the state asking to have part of Investigator Chris Serino’s testimony from the day before stricken.
“The question was, 'So if we were to take pathological liar off the table, and the possibility for the purpose of this next question, do you think he was telling the truth?' The answer: ‘Yes,’” the court reporter read back to the jury.
Judge Debra Nelson instructed the jury to disregard Serino’s answer to a question whether Zimmerman was telling the truth.
Expletives
A significant part of Serino’s testimony in defense attorney Mark O’Mara’s cross examination and later Prosecutor Bernie De la Rionda’s redirect was on the expletives Zimmerman said in his non-emergency call.
De la Rionda asked if the use of an expletive uttered by Zimmerman would be one used to invite someone over to dinner. He asked if “[expletive] punk” is a good way to refer to people. “No, sir,” Serino says.
O’Mara asked him if Zimmerman saying “[expletive] always get away” was a concern. Serino said no.
Redirect and cross examination
Serino began his testimony Monday with examination by De la Rionda, followed by cross examination with O’Mara Tuesday.
De la Rionda went back to redirect three times after those cross examinations.
The final re-re-redirect was one question asking if Serino claiming from the courtroom it was raining outside would be speculation, which he confirmed.
Mark Osterman’s book
Mark Osterman, a federal air marshal and friend of Zimmerman, took the stand next.
De la Rionda based his questioning for him off Osterman’s own book, “Defending our Friend: the Most Hated Man in America,” reading directly it at times.
Osterman described how he met with Zimmerman’s wife, Shellie, the night of the shooting and waited with her at the police station.
He told the court Zimmerman described what happened while he drove them to his home.
De la Rionda questioned him about who reached for the gun. Osterman said Zimmerman told him he thought Trayvon Martin was reaching for the gun, and that’s when he managed to pull it out and fire.
He said he heard a second recount from Zimmerman the next day when he retold it for both of their wives.
Sean Hannity TV interview
After lunch, the state played an interview Zimmerman did with Fox News host Sean Hannity. There were no questions asked after the nearly 20 minute clip.
Dr. Valerie Rao
The state called medical examiner Dr. Valerie Rao, who is the District Four Chief Medical Examiner.
Prosecutor John Guy quickly went over the injuries seen in photos of Zimmerman taken from the police station the night of the shooting.
She testified that the injuries were not consistent with having his head repeatedly slammed because the injuries were so minor.
On cross-examination, O’Mara challenged her about that conclusion.
He asked her how many impacts it would take to create each different bruise or laceration. O’Mara also spent time comparing the photos she brought with her to the ones he had to determine if swelling was visible on the side of Zimmerman’s head.
School Records
Before the last witness of the day, the prosecution and defense spent time before Judge Nelson over the relevance of some of Zimmerman’s school records.
Prosecutor Richard Mantei argued the documents, including Zimmerman’s transcript, school work in a criminal law and procedure class, application to be a police officer in Prince William County, Va., and application for a ride-along with the Sanford Police Department, should be allowed because they show his interest in law enforcement and knowledge with the law.
O’Mara argued they are irrelevant because they are part of what he called a “fishing expedition” by the prosecution.
Judge Nelson gave them time to look up case law, but the matter was not immediately resolved.
Latent print
The last witness of the day was a latent print analyst, Kristen Benson, who examined a print card taken from the gun.
Benson testified that it was not a valued print.
She also said prints can be damaged or destroyed by environmental conditions like rain and humidity.
Her time on the witness stand was very brief and court ended early for the day.
Lawyers on both sides are expected to continue arguing the admissibility of the school records when court resumes Wednesday morning.