A pool of 40 potential jurors has been reached in the George Zimmerman trial, Circuit Judge Debra Nelson announced in court Tuesday.
Those potential jurors went through the initial round of questioning, which was focused solely on pretrial publicity.
Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the February 2012 shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. He has pleaded not guilty, saying he acted in self-defense.
Jury selection had resumed earlier Tuesday as defense attorneys and prosecutors worked to build the pool of potential jurors. Five hundred people were summoned overall for the case.
On Monday, Judge Nelson granted a defense motion to extend the timeline for securing the anonymity of jurors in the trial.
Judge Nelson did not say for how long anonymity would be extended to jurors. She previously ruled that jurors’ names would be kept anonymous until after a jury reaches a verdict.
Judge Nelson said Monday that she would consider the length of the extension after the verdict is reached. Defense attorney Mark O’Mara has asked for a six-month extension.
The jury that will eventually be selected to hear the case will be sequestered for the duration of the trial, Judge Nelson said last week.
