The prosecution threw a last-minute curve ball asking for a child abuse charge but George Zimmerman's defense wasn't going to stand for it and neither did the judge. INSIDE EDITION reports.
The prosecutor began impassioned closing remarks to the jury in the George Zimmerman case today.
"A teenager is dead. He is dead through no fault of his own. He is dead because another man made assumptions. Unfortunately, because his assumptions were wrong, Trayvon Benjamin Martin no longer walks this earth," said prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda.
De la Rionda said Zimmerman could easily have avoided a confrontation.
"Why does this defendant get out of the car if he thinks that Trayvon Martin is a threat to him? Why? Because he's got a gun. He's got the equalizer!" exclaimed de la Rionda.
Earlier, fireworks had erupted in the courtroom. Defense attorney Don West was furious after the prosecution pulled a surprise move, asking that the jury consider charges linked to child abuse.
"This is outrageous. It's outrageous. Oh my God, just when I thought this case couldn't get any more bizarre," said West.
The judge agreed with the defense and won't allow the jury to consider child abuse.
"I just don't think that the evidence supports that," said Judge Debra Nelson.
INSIDE EDITION's Les Trent spoke with CNN's Ashleigh Banfield, who said, "This was right out of left field for so many, including the defense. I don't think they saw this coming and you could tell they were mad."
The eyes of the world are on the Seminole County Courthouse. It is surrounded by barricades and a heavy police presence as passions are running high among supporters on both sides of this case.
Meanwhile, the trial even came up at the White House press briefing when a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, "The president once said that if he had a son he would look like Trayvon Martin. Is the president watching this trial?"
"We're not going to say anything from here in the midst of the trial, of that nature," replied Carney.
As the trial nears its close, Zimmerman looked more nervous than usual, literally wiping the sweat off his brow. His defense attorney, Mark O'Mara says Zimmerman is worried about the verdict.
"We still have a case where the state of Florida is trying to put him behind bars for the rest of his life. That's a very scary position to be in, and he's worried," said O'Mara.
