Jurors won't hear that Martin was in Sanford on the night of his death because he had been suspended from school in South Florida, where he lived. They won't hear about his past marijuana use or history of fighting, at least during opening arguments.
Zimmerman defense attorney Mark O'Mara told the judge Martin's past is intertwined with the behavior that led to the deadly confrontation.
"All of that fits in squarely to what the defense is going to present as the reason why George Zimmerman was put in a position where he had to act in self-defense.", O'Mara said. "We can't act in a vacuum as to who Trayvon Martin acted as that night."
Zimmerman wasn't in the courtroom, but Martin's mother and grandmother were. So was Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump, who spoke after the hearing.
"Trayvon Martin did not have a gun. Trayvon Martin did not get out of the car to chase anybody. Trayvon Martin did not shoot and kill anybody", said Crump. "Trayvon Martin is not on trial."
Circuit Judge Debra Nelson also ruled against sequestering the jury pool and against taking jurors to the scene of the shooting, reasoning both ideas are unrealistic. She scheduled a separate hearing to determine whether testimony from voice experts should be allowed.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin June 10th.