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SURVEY: Americans changing opinion on Zimmerman’s guilt

Posted at 11:31 AM, May 22, 2012
and last updated 2012-05-22 12:08:02-04

(WTVR) – Survey data by Ramussen Reports indicates that Americans are becoming more convinced that Trayvon Marton’s killer acted in self-defense and that the legal system will reach that conclusion also.

Florida State Attorney Angela Corey is prosecuting one of the most sensational and sensitive cases in the country — the Trayvon Martin case.

Shooter George Zimmerman is expected to defend shooting the unarmed Florida teen under the same Stand Your Ground law.

Survey data shows that as more evidence emerges in the shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin people are changing their opinions on the situation.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 24% of American adults still believe the man who shot Martin should be found guilty of murder.

However, that number is down from 33% in late March when the case began to draw national media attention, and down from 30% in early April.

Forty percent now think that Zimmerman, charged with second degree murder in the Martin shooting, acted in self-defense.

As Ramussen Reports, that’s up 25 points from 15% in March and up 16 points from 24% last month.

Thirty-six percent (36%) remain undecided, compared to 55% two months ago. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on May 19-20, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports.

The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.