Trayvon Martin jury On trial: George Zimmerman. Lawyers in the US trial of a man accused of murdering a black teenager have struggled to put together a jury in the high-profile case. George Zimmerman, a Hispanic neighbourhood watch volunteer, is pleading not guilty to a second-degree murder charge that could carry a life sentence. He says he shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in self-defence in February 2012 in his gated community. A 44-day delay in Zimmerman's arrest led to protests around the United States. One juror told lawyers they're going to have a hard time finding jurors who haven't heard about the case and can only hope they find residents who can keep an open mind. "I haven't lived under a rock for the past year," Juror B-51, a white, female retiree, said. It's pretty hard for people not to have gotten some information. By the end of Tuesday, the lawyers had questioned 14 potential jurors in person, and 70 jury candidates had been dismissed after filling out a questionnaire. Mr Zimmerman is claiming self-defence under Florida's so-called stand-your-ground law, which allows a person to invoke self-defence if they feel a fatal shooting is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm. Lawyers need to find six jurors and four alternates. In Florida, 12 jurors are required only for criminal trials involving capital cases, when the death penalty is being considered.