In light of George Zimmerman's not-guilty verdict for killing Florida teen Trayvon Martin, he will resume a lawsuit accusing NBC News of making him look like a racist, The Washington Post reports.
Zimmerman filed the suit in December over the "Today" show's edited version of Zimmerman's 911 call to police the night he killed Martin, which he said made him look racist. The recording portrayed Zimmerman's words as "This guy [Martin] looks like he's up to no good. He looks black."
In reality, Zimmerman only mentioned the 17-year-old's race when the 911 operator inquired. NBC has since apologized and fired the reporter and producer responsible.
Zimmerman filed suit against NBC in December the same year. According to The Washington Post, NBC noted the pivotal nature of Zimmerman's future: that a guilty verdict would show the "destruction is his reputation is a result of his own criminal conduct, and not of the broadcast at issue."
The suit was delayed until after Zimmerman's criminal trial, and now his lawyers will ask a judge to lift the stay. His attorney in the civil suit, James Beasely, told the Post's Erik Wemple, "It's simply time for us to start the case and hold anyone accountable who was irresponsible in their journalism."
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