The brother of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman who is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, released a statement on behalf of the Zimmerman family on Saturday.

“From the onset of this tragic event our family has been clear to express our trust in the judicial system. A jury of one’s peers is the hallmark of our country’s judicial system. The American justice system is the finest in the world. George’s fate is now in the hands of the jury, who will make their decision based on evidence and the facts of the case.

“As we await a verdict we will remain hopeful and ask for the public to remain peaceful, no matter the outcome. Though we maintain George committed no crime whatsoever, we acknowledge that the people who called for George’s arrest and subsequent trial have now witnessed both events come to pass. We hope now that as Americans we will all respect the rule of law, which begins with respecting the verdict. The judicial system has run its course – pray for justice, pray for peace, pray for our country.”