How Twitter forced a literary agent to drop the George Zimmerman juror's book deal

  • Twitter user encouraged others to harass literary agent Sharlene Martin by phone, email and social media
  • The user also started an online petition, which prompted Martin to retract the book deal
  • The juror who was planning to write the book has not been identified by name, but she has been characterized as a white, married mother of two
  • The juror gave an interview to Anderson Cooper that aired on CNN several hours before the book proposal was quashed

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: | Updated:


A single Twitter user is behind the online uproar on Monday that pressured literary agent Sharlene Martin to drop a book deal with a member of the jury for George Zimmerman's murder trial.

User @MoreAndAgain expressed her outrage on Twitter Monday evening after the juror, identified only as juror B37, revealed that she was planning to write a book about the trial.

The user dug up the name of the literary agency, Martin Literary Management, that was planning to represent the juror and encouraged users to message the agency's owner, Sharlene Martin.


To aid in the process, @MoreAndAgain posted Martin's phone, email and business address - as well as her Twitter handle.

'Only thing I can think to do is flood Sharlene Martin's phone, email, and snail mail, w/ requests that she drop juror B37. That sound good?' @MoreAndAgain wrote at 8 p.m. Monday, just before posting Martin's personal information.

The Twitter user took the further step of launching an online petition on Change.org, which quickly gathered more than a thousand signatures, and prompted Martin to message @MoreAndAgain directly. 

'I appreciate your passion for the death of Travyon Martin. Stand by for a message shortly. I grieve his death as well,' she wrote, according to @MoreAndAgain.

Sharlene Martin
Trayvon Martin

Literary agent Sharlene Martin, left, said the book would explain why the jury decided Zimmerman was not guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin, right, due to Florida's laws

Within an hour, Martin sent another direct message that read: 'After careful consideration regarding the proposed book project with Zimmerman Juror B37, I have decided to rescind my offer of representation in the exploration of a book based upon this case.'

Around midnight, Martin released a similar statement to the Associated Press and then tweeted a statement from the juror that read: 'I realize it was necessary for our jury to be sequestered in order to protest our verdict from unfair outside influence, but that isolation shielded me from the depth of pain that exists among the general public over every aspect of this case.


'The potential book was always intended to be a respectful observation of the trial from my and my husband’s perspectives solely and it was to be an observation that our "system" of justice can get so complicated that it creates a conflict with our "spirit" of justice.

'Now that I am returned to my family and to society in general, I have realized that the best direction for me to go is away from writing any sort of book and return instead to my life as it was before I was called to sit on this jury.'

The Twitter uproar that ended the book proposal followed the airing of an interview with juror B37 on CNN Monday. The juror, who has been characterized as a white, married mother of two, did not show her face in the interview.

Pivotal take: The jury member, whose name and face have not been revealed, said that they never believed it was a race-based incident

Pivotal take: The jury member, whose name and face have not been revealed, said that they never believed it was a race-based incident

War of words: One of the jury members (right) spoke out and said that she felt Rachel Jeantel's (left) testimony was not credible because of her version of events and presentation

War of words: One of the jury members (right) spoke out and said that she felt Rachel Jeantel's (left) testimony was not credible because of her version of events and presentation

She said she believed that Zimmerman made some poor decisions in the moments before he shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, but that Martin wasn't innocent.

'I think both were responsible for the situation they had gotten themselves into,' she said. 'I think they both could have walked away.'

'Trayvon decided that he wasn’t going to let [Zimmerman] scare him... and I think Trayvon got mad and attacked him,' she added.

Prosecutors accused Zimmerman of profiling Martin. He was found not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter on Saturday night.

Literary agent Sharlene Martin had originally said that now-defunct book would explain why the jury reached the decision to acquit the former neighborhood watch volunteer.

'My hope is that people will read Juror B37’s book, written with her attorney husband, and understand the commitment it takes to serve and be sequestered on a jury in a highly publicized murder trial and how important, despite one’s personal viewpoints, it is to follow the letter of the law,' she said.

Cleared: The juror said that she felt that Zimmerman went above the bounds of what he should have done but 'his heart was in the right place'

Cleared: The juror said that she felt that Zimmerman went above the bounds of what he should have done but 'his heart was in the right place'

She added that the book has the potential to open discussions about how laws might need to be revised in order to fit with modern society.

'The reader will also learn why the jurors had no option but to find Zimmerman Not Guilty due to the manner in which he was charged,' she said.

Sharlene Martin has represented books written by high-profile writers, including Honor Bound by Raffaele Sollecito and Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story by Shanna Hogan, due out in September.

Mystery still surrounds the identities of the jury members and there is still no indication of how long the six women, known only to the public as B76, B37, E6, B29, E40 and B51, will remain anonymous.

Jurors refused to talk to reporters about how they reached their decision on Saturday after they received numerous interview requests from media outlets.

Their names are being kept secret until Judge Debra Nelson lifts an order protecting their identities.

Attorneys have argued that the names should not be kept secret.

National issue: Demonstrators protested in Atlanta on Monday, two nights after the verdict was handed down

National issue: Demonstrators protested in Atlanta on Monday, two nights after the verdict was handed down

Rage: A man shouts during a protest march against the acquittal in Los Angeles, California on Sunday

Rage: A man shouts during a protest march against the acquittal in Los Angeles, California on Sunday

In June, the judge ruled they would remain anonymous for an unspecified period after the verdict and Zimmerman lawyer Mark O'Mara argued they should be kept secret for six months after the trial.

Speculation also surrounds whether or not ZImmerman himself will pen a book revealing his experiences. The AP suggested he could make money from the project or from a lawsuit he brought against NBC last year after it allegedly edited his 911 tapes to make him look like a racial profiler.

Following his acquittal on all charges, he will spend no time behind bars.

But the Department of Justice could file criminal civil rights charges, and Zimmerman may face civil lawsuits from the family of Martin, who was unarmed at the time of his death last year.

The verdict has sparked uproar across the U.S., with Trayvon supporters claiming that the killing was racially motivated as they stage massive protests across cities from New York to Los Angeles.

For the moment, veteran publicists say Zimmerman really has only one option available: To hide.

WHO WERE THE SIX WOMEN WHO TRIED GEORGE ZIMMERMAN?

  • B-37 - the juror who wanted to pen a book- is a white woman who volunteers rescuing animals. She is married to an attorney and has two adult children. She said she and her husband used to have concealed weapons permits. During the last round of questioning, she said she had an issue with the type of weapons people are allowed to carry. She also thought weapons’ training was inadequate for people seeking permits. 'It should become harder,' she said.

  • B-51 is retired, unmarried and doesn’t have kids. She has lived in Seminole County for nine years working in real estate and run a call center where she said she had experience resolving conflicts. When asked if Zimmerman did something wrong by following Martin instead of waiting for police, she said: 'Yeah, I guess he did do something wrong.'

  • B-29 recently moved to central Florida from Chicago. She enjoys watching the 'Real Housewives' on television and works as a nurse on an Alzheimer’s section of a nursing home. She said she hadn’t paid much attention to the shooting. She said she has been arrested, but her case was dropped. It’s not clear why she was arrested or exactly what happened to her case, though she said she was treated fairly. She is married and has several children. A prosecutor described her as 'black or Hispanic' during jury selection.

  • B-76 is a white woman who has lived in central Florida for 18 years. She manages rental properties with her husband of 30 years. She has two adult children, including one who is an attorney. She is involved with rescuing animals in her free time. During jury selection, she said she had been the victim of a nonviolent crime. 'Everyone deserves a fair trial,' she said.

  • E-6 is a white woman who is married and has two children. She has worked in financial services and has lived in Seminole County for two years. She is active in her church and involved with her children’s school. During jury selection, she said she didn’t know the facts of the case well.

  • E-40 is a white woman who works as a safety officer and recently moved to Seminole County from Iowa. She describes herself as a football fan. During jury selection, she said she had been the victim of a nonviolent crime.

Twitter

Most watched News videos