If the parents of Trayvon Martin can use social media and the Internet to demand justice, so can George Zimmerman, NPR reports. Attorneys for Zimmerman, who has been charged with second-degree murder in the case, have created a Facebook page, Twitter account, website, and blog to counteract the vitriol heaped on their client. His legal team is communicating directly with supporters and detractors alike of the neighborhood watch volunteer who says he shot the unarmed boy in self-defense.
The Feb. 26 shooting gained national attention partly due to use of Change.org and Twitter by the boy’s parents and supporters who pushed for Zimmerman’s arrest. “If you are facing serious prison time, you want to load the dice as best you can,” says crisis management specialist Eric Dezenhall, who advised attorneys for Michael Jackson in a 2005 molestation trial, in which he was acquitted. “If you know that the case is being publicly debated, if there’s any chance of convincing the public that your client is innocent, you’re going to try to do it using real facts and plausible narratives.”