Anderson Cooper’s exclusive with Mark O’Mara “facts of the case support nothing but self-defense”

Tonight on AC360°, Anderson Cooper spoke exclusively with George Zimmerman’s defense attorney Mark O’Mara. On the day the defense rested, O’Mara said that Zimmerman “was really considering testifying, he really wanted to talk to his jury and tell them what he did, why he did it and what he was facing when he made that decision to fire the shot” but that there wasn’t a need as the State hadn’t proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

O’Mara thinks it was legally inappropriate for the prosecution to ask that charges of manslaughter and aggravated assault be included, and states that “the facts of the case don’t support a manslaughter charge,” the “facts of the case support nothing but self-defense,” and the jury “should look at the facts, look at the law apply it and acquit him.”

O’Mara also told Cooper that he does not write out his closing arguments but he knows what he wants to say.  He anticipates that the State may attempt to misrepresent the evidence in its closing argument, and fears that the jury might consider a compromised verdict because of “some bias and sympathy that they may get from the State’s closing argument.”  “We don’t want a compromised verdict, just like we don’t want a jury pardoned. We want a verdict based upon the facts and the law and that’s an acquittal.”