The courtroom seats have been carefully parceled out. Thirty-one will go to journalists. Six are being set aside for Trayvon's family and six for Zimmerman's.
Twenty-four will go to members of the public through a daily lottery. Four have been set aside for black local ministers, part of a much larger group of Sanford-area religious leaders who've been working with the U.S. Department of Justice since Trayvon's shooting to minimize racial tensions.
The Rev. Valerie J. Houston, pastor at Sanford's Allen Chapel AME Church, said they'll watch the proceedings, communicate with their congregations and go outside and talk to protesters if there's a need for crowd control.
Is this an admission on the part of the court that the black community of which the thug Trayvon was a part has a propensity for unrest if they don't get their way -- only black pastors get passes.
What racist(s) made that decision?
I think the authorities are saying the Black population can’t be expected at act civilized. . .that is why they are getting special treatment.
Won’t work. . .riots will happen in the Black community no matter what verdict is returned.
Right. And those "four black ministers" demand Zimmerman's conviction evidence be damn'ed to "minimize racial tensions."
I'm sorry, but whenever I hear the term "black minister" I think race baiting poverty pimp.
no white chaplains?.....already the charges are ludicrous and now they want to top it off by violating Z’s civil rights by having a racial group there?.....
Saw an article that the local police may have had it in for Zimmerman for something dating back to 2011 as well (son of a police officer just kid gloves treatment after attacking a black homeless man).
How many chairs in the court room are they going to get as well “to watch the proceedings”?
How many kangaroos does it take to convict someone in open court?