Jury selection begins in George Zimmerman trial

Lawyers on both sides of the George Zimmerman trial Monday began what is expected to be a weekslong process of selecting a 12-member jury in the incendiary case in Sanford, Florida.

As potential jurors filled out questionnaires, Judge Debra Nelson denied a request from Zimmerman's attorneys to delay the start of the trial for several weeks on grounds they needed more time to prepare.

His attorneys declined to ask for a change of venue in the case, suggesting they are confident they can find impartial jurors in the area despite the wall-to-wall media coverage that 17-year-old Trayvon Martin's killing attracted last year.

But his brother, Robert Zimmerman, didn't sound convinced. "We're obviously concerned about that," he told reporters Monday when asked if he believed George Zimmerman could get a fair trial.

Zimmerman, out on $1 million bond and in hiding for much of the past year, is charged with second-degree murder for killing the unarmed teen in a confrontation in his gated community, where Zimmerman acted as a volunteer watchman.

Prosecutors argue that Zimmerman racially profiled, followed and then shot Martin. Zimmerman's lawyers counter that their client was attacked by Martin and that he acted in self-defense.