“You’ve got to have true due process for the accused,” Scott said. Scott: 'Due process' for Zimmerman

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Monday that while his “heart goes out” to the family of Trayvon Martin, the neighborhood watchman who shot and killed the unarmed teenager last month deserves a “true due process.”

“Your heart goes out to them,” the Republican governor said on “Fox & Friends.” “But you know, the court’s going to figure out once we get all the facts once the investigation happens whether that law applies or not. We’ll find out.”


Scott was referring to the controversial “Stand Your Ground” law in his state that has come under fierce scrutiny since Martin’s death. Under this 2005 law, individuals who believe that their life is in danger have the right to “stand his or her ground” and employ force against another — including deadly force.

George Zimmerman, claiming he was acting under self-defense when he shot Martin, has not been arrested, and the incident has drawn the ire of many in the African-American community who say Martin’s death was the result of racial profiling. Audio of a 911 call that Zimmerman made the night of the incident has revealed that he had purposefully trailed the teenager.

Scott, who said he met with Martin’s family members last Thursday, explained Monday that the state is carrying out a “thorough investigation” and that “justice has to prevail.”

He added, “You want to be fair. You’ve got to be fair to that family — you feel sorry for Trayvon Martin’s family. But you’ve also got to be — you’ve got to have true due process for the accused, and this individual still is not even accused.”

In a later appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Scott said, “You can’t imagine losing your 17-year-old son. You can’t imagine it.”

The governor also admitted that it had “taken too long” for information about the shooting to be uncovered, but still urged the public to wait to hear the facts before making up their minds about whether Zimmerman should be charged for the incident.

“We don’t know enough yet … We should expect more. Now, we do have to wait. We have got to get the information out before people make decisions about things,” he said.

Craig Sonner, Zimmerman’s attorney, insisted on NBC’s “Today” show Monday that his client had been acting in self defense, noting that the neighborhood watch captain had suffered physical injuries from his encounter with Martin.

“When the evidence comes out it will show that George Zimmerman was acting in self defense in this case,” he said. “George Zimmerman suffered a broken nose, injuries to the back of his head, and signs of a scuffle, being grass-stained on the back of his shirt.”

Sonner added, “It’s not a racial issue. George Zimmerman is absolutely not a racist. This, whatever happened that night was in self defense.”

Meanwhile, Natalie Jackson, the attorney for Trayvon Martin’s family, said that the teenager’s parents do not support the recent death threats made against Zimmerman, who has gone into hiding since Martin’s death caused an uproar.

“They do not endorse or condone this. They want a lawful arrest in this case. They want the justice system and they want the legal system to work,” she said in an appearance on CNN.

Jackson argued that the police in Sanford, Fla., where Martin was shot last month, “either bungled or ignored completely” an investigation into the incident.

“Our legal team has had to put together investigators and take interview witness statements, pretty much trace the whole scene again and we’re willing to turn that information over to the prosecutors,” she said.

Meanwhile, a new twist was added to the developing case of Martin’s shooting when a spokesman for his family revealed Monday that the teenager was suspended from school last month for having marijuana reside in his book bag, as The Associated Press reported. According to the spokesman, Martin’s parents do not believe this suspension was related to the Feb. 26 altercation with Zimmerman, the AP said.