SANFORD, Fla. (AP) - The murder trial for the Florida man charged in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin remains set for a June start after a judge Tuesday denied a defense request for a postponement.
George Zimmerman's lead attorney Mark O'Mara presented a motion to have the trial pushed back to November. He argued that prosecutors had been slow to turn over needed evidence.
State attorney Bernie de la Rionda denied the accusation the prosecution had been dragging its feet and said it was rather a case of the defense using inefficient means to secure the information it wanted.
With roughly four months left before the scheduled June 10 trial, Judge Debra Nelson said she felt the defense still has time to work out the outstanding issues.
"I don't see any of your issues to be insurmountable," Nelson said in denying the motion.
The 29-year-old Zimmerman is claiming he acted in self-defense in shooting the 17-year-old last year after the two got into a fight and has pleaded not guilty to a second-degree murder charge.
On what would have been Martin's 18th birthday, a local community group gathered outside the Sanford courthouse to remember the teenager before the hearing.
Martin's parents, Tracy Martin and Sabrina Fulton, did not attend the remembrance nor the court proceeding because they were "overcome with emotion," said their family attorney Benjamin Crump.
"As (Trayvon's) brother said, it's hard on mom, because there's nobody to get a cake and ice cream for," Crump said.
Crump said Martin's parents are pleased that the case will progress as scheduled.
