George Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch volunteer, shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012 as the unarmed black teenager was walking in the gated community his father’s fiancee lived in. Trayvon, who was on his way back from the store, carried just a bag of Skittles and a drink, though Zimmerman claims he shot in self-defense. Being acquitted of the teenager’s death in 2013 was apparently not enough. As reported by the Miami Herald, Zimmerman is filing a lawsuit against Martin’s family, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, key witness Rachael Jeantel, and others. He seeks more than $100 million in damages.
The suit, which was filed in Polk County, Florida, alleges a number of offenses, including conspiracy, abuse of civil process, and defamation. Among other claims, the suit alleges that Rachel Jeantel, an important witness in the trial who was on the phone with Trayvon before he was killed, was an “imposter.” The lawsuit accuses defendants of creating a “false storyline to prosecutors in order to cause Zimmerman to be arrested, tried, and convicted for second degree murder." The suit states that all listed defendants “have worked in concert to deprive Zimmerman of his constitutional and other legal rights.”
In total, the suit lists the following defendants: Sybrina Fulton, Benjamin Crump, Rachel Jeantel, Brittany Diamond Eugene, Tracy Martin, Bernie De La Rionda, John Guy, Angela Corey, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, The State of Florida, and HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C.
Of note, of course, is Sybrina Fulton. Fulton is listed as the lead defendant. She is also Trayvon’s mother. Fulton became active in the Black Lives Movement, as well as gun reform, after her son’s death. She’s currently running for a seat on the Miami-Dade County Commission.