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George Zimmerman could still face federal charges in the 2012 death of Trayvon Martin, though the DOJ’s desire to wade into this case is iffy at best.

The U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating the Martin case, in which a jury found George Zimmerman not guilty Saturday night.

The government is evaluating the evidence (including testimony from his Florida trial) and weighing filing criminal civil rights charges against Zimmerman.

The defendant, who claimed self-defense, was found not guilty of both second-degree murder and manslaughter when tried by Florida, and is a free man.

However, he’s not out of the woods just yet.

 

Many known activists such as Al Sharpton and the NAACP (not to mention most of Twitter) are clamoring for the DOJ to bring civil rights charges.

That could be an uphill battle the government doesn’t want, however, as proving that Zimmerman was motivated solely by race could be daunting.

The racial profiling element made the case extremely high profile, but establishing a legal basis for federal civil rights violations is another story.

He could also face various civil suits, though his legal team seems to feel it can prevail in any of those as well following the acquittal this weekend.

President Obama urged calm in response to the verdict, saying that America should honor Martin through reflection and introspection, not violence.

George Zimmerman verdict: Did they get it right?