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Fla. special prosecutor to skip grand jury in Trayvon case

By Douglas Stanglin, USA TODAY
Updated

The Florida special prosecutor investigating the Trayvon Martin shooting has decided not to use a grand jury, but says that should not be considered a factor in her final determination of the case.

The office of Florida State Attorney Angela Corey announced the decision this morning in a brief statement, USA TODAY's Marisol Bello reports.

TIMELINE:  The shooting of Trayvon Martin

Trayvon, 17, was shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, 28, on Feb. 26 as he walked home from a convenience store. Police did not arrest Zimmerman, who said he shot the youth in self-defense.

The announcement means the decision on any charges now rests solely with Corey, who was appointed special prosecutor on March 22 by Gov. Rick Scott.

Corey, who has a reputation for not presenting cases before grand juries if it isn't required, said at the outset of her appointment that she might forego a grand jury in the Martin case.

Under Florida law, only first-degree murder cases require the use of grand juries.

The grand jury that had been set to convene April 10 was called by the former prosecutor in the case.

Trayvon's death has led to nationwide protests calling for Zimmerman's arrest.

"We want to believe that this would be a positive sign that the prosecutor has enough information to arrest Trayvon Martin's killer," said Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the Martin family, moments after Corey released the news. "The family is really trying hard to be patient and have faith in the system."

Crump added that Corey's office would now be making the decision on whether to charge Zimmerman with a crime, USA TODAY's Yamiche Alcindor reports.

He said he hoped such a decision could be made this week.

Update at 1:56 p.m. ET: The office of the Sanford Police Department was temporarily closed to the public today because students protesting about Trayvon's death blocked the main entrance, officials said in a statement.

"The city of Sanford hopes the actions of the students will be as peaceful and orderly as the previous rallies and marches have been," said City Manager, Norton Bonaparte, Jr., in a statement. "We want to be accommodating to all our visitors proving they act in a manner that is respectful to the people of the city."

Sanford residents wishing to go into the police department were directed to City Hall.

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