The Daily Beast Interviews Attorney Eric M. Matheny on the Zimmerman Murder Trial

MIAMI - June 27, 2013 - PRLog -- A recent article in The Daily Beast reviewed the beginning of the George Zimmerman murder trial, taking a close look at each side’s successes and blunders so far. Zimmerman is the former neighborhood-watch captain who is accused of committing murder when he shot teenager Trayvon Martin. In the June 26 article—titled “George Zimmerman Is Off to a Rough Start, Legal Experts Say”— a number of different criminal defense attorneys weighed in on the trial, which included an unusual approach by the defense lawyer to start his opening statement with a knock-knock joke. One of the knowledgeable legal professionals quoted in the article was South Florida Criminal Defense Attorney Eric M. Matheny, who discussed the prosecutor’s strong courtroom presence, issues related to the 911 recording and the future outlook for Zimmerman.

The Daily Beast article provided an overview of how the trial started out. The prosecutor is said to have come in strong with his “highly charged” opening statement, which started with a phrase that included profanity that the defendant allegedly used just before the shooting. There was also the presentation of graphic photos of Martin’s dead body, his gunshot wound and the gun that was used in the shooting. (Zimmerman is claiming self-defense in the case.) According to The Daily Beast, one memorable aspect of the opening statements was the knock-knock joke told by Zimmerman’s lawyer, which made light of the challenges of jury selection. The joke went as follows: “Knock, knock.” “Who’s there?” “George Zimmerman.” “George Zimmerman, who?” “Alright, good, you are on the jury.”

In the article, Attorney Matheny stated that he believed the prosecution was able to establish a “strong command of the courtroom” and that he was successful in making Zimmerman appear as a paranoid cop wannabe. “Zimmerman should be very scared right now,” the lawyer is quoted as saying in the article.

Despite this, the lawyer predicted that Zimmerman will be found guilty of aggravated manslaughter rather than murder. He discussed the inability to prove in court which individual—Zimmerman or Martin—was crying for help on the 911 recording and noted that this is something the jury will likely have a tough time with.

Attorney Matheny said that however the case ends, Zimmerman will probably find himself in the same type of position as infamous Florida mom Casey Anthony, who also underwent a murder trial of her own. “He’s a marked man,” Attorney Matheny said in the article. “He might as well leave the country. He is one person I wouldn’t trade places with.”

Mr. Matheny, of The Law Offices of Eric M. Matheny, P.A., is a highly skilled legal professional who has experience as both a criminal defense lawyer and a prosecutor, since he formerly served as an Assistant State Attorney for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. The criminal defense attorney has tried about 50 jury and non-jury trials, and he handles various types of criminal cases. He has also served a featured commentator for various media outlets. Additional information about Attorney Matheny and his firm are available at http://www.ericmathenylaw.com.