Zimmerman Trial off to a Fast/Slow Start

Jury selection began yesterday in the George Zimmerman trial and it got off to a very fast start, or a really slow start....it depends which station or network you were watching. 

CNN's Sunny Hostin predicted it wouldn't be that difficult to find a jury.

"This judge … is moving so quickly I suspect that they will seat a jury at least by this week. I don't think we're going to be waiting two or three weeks to find a jury," Hostin said.

HLN's Ryan Smith told CNN that the proceedings were moving really fast. "Tough judge. I like this judge," Smith said of Judge Debra Nelson. "The judge wants to move this along."

Smith added that the Casey Anthony case took a lot longer even though Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr. was efficient.

Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.

WOFL-Channel 35's Holly Bristow saw a "slow start all morning" because the questioning of prospective jurors didn't begin until the afternoon.

WESH-Channel 2 legal analyst Jeff Deen described "a tedious process" because "we're watching sausage being made." Deen added that he didn't believe the attorneys were ready.

WOFL analyst Randy McClean predicted a lengthy process. "It's very slow going. It'll probably take more than a week," he said.

But WOFL analyst Diana Tennis was more optimistic. "I still think we're going to get it done in five days," she said.

How to describe those early prospective jurors?

HLN's Jean Casarez weighed in after the questioning of the first two. "These are the most perfect jurors you could ever find because they don't like news, they don't watch news," she said.

Four people were questioned the first day. WFTV-Channel 9's Kathi Belich highlighted that "all four said they had no opinion about guilt or innocence."

WKMG-Channel 6 anchor Lauren Rowe reported that three would be coming back. WKMG's Tony Pipitone highlighted the thoughts of the lone man questioned. "There was fault on both sides, as far as I could see," the man said of Zimmerman and Martin. "It was two people being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

WESH anchor Martha Sugalski was surprised that those questioned hadn't heard more about the case, which has made national and international headlines. 

Alisia Adamson, a new WESH legal analyst, said, "It's very hard to believe.  I would definitely want to delve in and ask them a few more questions. What type of rock they've been hiding under?"

But Mark NeJame, an analyst for Central Florida News 13, saw "good folk who are not particularly focused on watching the news. A lot of people do not. They seem to be people that are relatively intelligent and are being honest."

NeJame said he had come to a conclusion when asked whether a jury could be seated in Seminole County. "A lot of people simply don't follow the news," he said. "They don't read newspapers. They don't watch TV news."

After the mixed reports on the trials speed, we can understand why some people turn off the news. 

H/T Orlando Sentinel