SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — Prosecutors in George Zimmerman’s second-degree murder trial want to ask jurors to consider lesser charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Prosecutors said they would ask that the lesser charges be included as they hammer out of jury instructions on Thursday.
Defense attorneys say they want the six jurors to only consider the second-degree murder charge or not guilty.
Judge Debra Nelson said Thursday she would allow jurors to consider manslaughter. Arguments on third-degree murder had yet to be made.
The six jurors could begin deliberating as early as Friday.
Zimmerman is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder. He claims he shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in self-defense last year.
___
Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://twitter.com/khightower.
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
