Former neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman was versed in Florida's self-defense laws before he shot and killed unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, despite his previous claim to the contrary, jurors were told at Zimmerman's trial on Wednesday.
The contradiction came into evidence at Zimmerman's murder trial after the judge ruled it was relevant for jurors to hear about the defendant's criminal justice studies.
On Tuesday, Seminole County Judge Debra Nelson let the jury hear a television interview in which Zimmerman said he had no knowledge of Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, which underpins his trial defense.
An army lawyer who taught Zimmerman in a 2010 college class on criminal litigation, testified that he often covered Florida's self-defense and "Stand Your Ground" laws in his 2010 course. Army Captain Alexis Carter said Zimmerman "was probably one of the better students in the class" calling him an "A" student.
Under the "Stand Your Ground" law, which was approved in 2005 and has been copied in some form by about 30 other states, people fearing for their lives can use deadly force without having to retreat from a confrontation, even when it is possible.
The statute is central to Zimmerman's defense in a case that captivated the United States throughout much of 2012 because of the self-defense argument.
Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder, saying he shot Martin in self-defense during their confrontation inside a gated community in the central Florida town of Sanford on Feb, 26, 2012.
In allowing evidence about Zimmerman's criminal law studies, the judge overruled strenuous objections from Zimmerman's lead lawyer, Mark O'Mara.
