All-female jury seated in George Zimmerman trial

GlobalPost

A jury of six women was seated Thursday to decide the murder trial of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer charged with shooting an unarmed black teenager.

Opening arguments could begin as early as next Monday.

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According to the Orlando Sentinel, at least five of the jury members are white. The race of the sixth juror was not immediately available.

Four alternates — two women, two men, all white — also will hear testimony.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys settled on the panel after nearly two weeks of jury selection. They were picked from a pool of 40 candidates who made it into the second round of questioning, the Associated Press reported.

More from GlobalPost: What makes a good juror in the Zimmerman trial?

Zimmerman is set to stand trial in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin at close range in Sanford, Fla., last February.

He has pleaded not guilty and maintains he acted in self-defense after Martin attacked him.

Police initially decided not to pursue charges in the case, leading to the dismissal of the town's police chief and igniting debate about race relations and gun laws in America.

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