After a year and a half of living as a hermit, George Zimmerman emerged from a Florida courthouse a free man, cleared of all charges in the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

George Zimmerman leaves the courtroom a free man after being found not guilty
George Zimmerman leaves the courtroom a free man after being found not guilty (Joe Burbank-Pool/Getty Images)
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A jury found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder late Saturday night and declined to convict him on a lesser charge of manslaughter.

His brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr., says the former neighborhood watch volunteer was still processing the reality that he wouldn't serve prison time for the killing, which Zimmerman has maintained was an act of self-defense. However, with many critics angry over his acquittal, his freedom will likely be limited.

Defense attorney Mark O'Mara suggested Zimmerman's safety would be an ongoing concern. He says a fringe element of society still wants revenge for Martin's killing.

Protesters of Zimmerman acquittal march in Calif.

Protesters angered by the acquittal of George Zimmerman held largely peaceful demonstrations in three California cities, but broke windows and started small street fires in Oakland, according to police.

 

Kat Crowe (L) and Melinda O'Neal react in front of the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center after learning George Zimmerman had been found not guilty
Kat Crowe (L) and Melinda O'Neal react in front of the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center after learning George Zimmerman had been found not guilty (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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The gatherings Saturday night ranged from a few dozen to a few hundred people turning out to protest the verdict in the Florida courtroom over the death of Trayvon Martin, and police said some of the demonstrations continued into the early hours Sunday.

The Oakland police dispatch office said about 100 people protested and police were forced to deal with acts of vandalism, mainly breaking windows on businesses and starting small fires in the streets. As the protest wound down with the crowd dispersing, the office said that as of 2 a.m. PDT it had no word of any arrests.

Local media reports said some Oakland marchers vandalized a police squad car and police formed a line to block the protesters' path.



(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)

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