While the nation prepares for fireworks in the sky, there were a few fireworks in the courtroom during the George Zimmerman trial Wednesday.

It was Judge Debra Nelson that offered some of the more memorable moments in court.

[Editor's note: Click the linked text to read the live update summary from that moment in court.]

School Records allowed

The day started with argument over the admissibility of Zimmerman’s school records, application to be a police officer, and application for a ride-along with the Sanford Police Department.

But when defense attorney Mark O’Mara asked for time to look over the case law used in Prosecutor Richard Mantei’s argument, he nearly got a scolding.

“I gave you all night last night and a half hour yesterday, and I told both sides I understood your arguments and I needed you to be prepared to come with the case law to support your arguments,” Judge Nelson said before O’Mara asked to be able to finish his request for more time.

O’Mara went on to argue the prosecution was trying to show the jury that Zimmerman was a “seething cop-wannabe” with the school information which could be considered “bad acts.”

When the prosecution was given a chance to respond, Mantei summed up his argument with a photo of a shoehorn.

“What that tells me is that the defense doesn’t really know what the proper objection is because there isn’t one,” Mantei said, showing the picture on a screen.

“The court makes a determination that the testimony bears directly on an issue in this case, therefore the testimony is substantive and the objections are overruled,” Judge Nelson said allowing the documents to be admitted.

Brief witnesses

The first person called to the stand, Sonja Boles-Melvin, spent just a few minutes there.

She is the registrar for Seminole State College and told the jury Zimmerman applied for graduation from the school in October 2011 with a potential graduation date in February 2012.

The next witness took a bit longer.

Lt. Scott Kerns, with the Prince William County Police in Virginia, testified about Zimmerman’s application to be an officer.

Zimmerman’s actual application was destroyed after three years, but a letter sent telling him why he was not accepted was presented to the court.

In cross examination, Kerns said Zimmerman’s credit history was that reason.

Later, Jim Krzenski, with the Sanford Police Administration Department, testified about the ride-along application Zimmerman filled out in March 2010. Zimmerman wrote the reason for wanting the ride along was “to solidify my chances of a career in law enforcement.”

Law Lesson

Capt. Alexis Carter, a former professor who taught criminal litigation at Seminole State College and now works in the JAG Corps as an attorney, had Zimmerman as a student.

He remembered him as one of his better students in the class.

During cross examination, West asked Carter to explain self-defense and the Stand Your Ground Law for Florida as he did in the class.

“When you have a reasonable apprehension of death or grievous bodily harm, and the term reasonable obviously has two components.

There’s a subjective component that I feel like I’m in fear, in my mind I feel like I’m in fear of death or grievous bodily harm, but when stuff hits the fan, you’re judged by jurors and your actions have to meet a reasonable standard objectively. So whether or not a reasonable person in your position would’ve felt the way you felt,” Carter explained.

Carter also jokingly advised that you probably shouldn’t wait until you’re almost dead to defend yourself, which got a laugh out of the courtroom and Zimmerman.

He went on to explain what “imperfect self-defense” was, saying it meant the person originally attacked changed into the aggressor. The person acted unreasonably in countering the force approached with, Carter explained.

In redirect, Prosecutor Richard Mantei asked Carter what the ultimate use of force would be. Carter answered deadly force, confirming that a gunshot would be an example.

Technical Difficulties

Skype users interrupted testimony of witness Scott Pleasants, another professor at Seminole State College. Pleasants testified via the video conferencing software that he taught an online course that covered aspects of investigations and the duties of the investigator.

As Mantei’s brief questioning concluded, a flood of Skype callers appeared on his laptop, prompting Judge Nelson to ask the testimony to continue by phone only.

Pleasants said he could monitor the class’s weekly discussion and see that Zimmerman participated in them.

Zimmerman once wrote on an introductory sheet, according to Pleasants, his career goal was to become an attorney and eventually a prosecutor.

Gun evidence

Amy Siewert, a firearms analyst testified that the gunshot that killed Martin was consistent with a contact shot to his clothes.

She said her conclusion was based on the tearing of the fabric, gun powder particles, sooting and burning of the fabric ends.

Cross examination with O’Mara focused on the safety features of the gun and if she could tell if the gun was pushed against Martin when fired.

Siewert says she could only determine the shot was consistent with contact, but there was no evidence it was pushed against the shirts.

Request for recess

There was a testy exchange between defense attorney Don West and Judge Nelson after returning from lunch.

When West asked for a recess on Friday for the opportunity to take the deposition of Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump, Judge

Nelson said it was her intention to have the defense start after the state rested its case.

She mentioned the sequestered jury and time that has already passed since the decision was made that Crump could be deposed.

DNA evidence

The day ended with testimony from Anthony Gorgone, a DNA expert whotestified about each stain tested on Martin and Zimmerman’s clothing.

Martin’s hooded sweatshirt only had his DNA on it. The gray sweatshirt he was wearing under it had Zimmerman’s and his own DNA on it.

The stain matching Zimmerman’s DNA was on the bottom of the sweatshirt.

Zimmerman’s orange jacket had 31 stains tested:

  • Stain E: Matched Zimmerman, Martin not excluded or included
  • Stain I: Partial profile match for Zimmerman, Martin not excluded or included
  • Stains J, K, L, M: Matched Zimmerman
  • Stain N: Matched Zimmerman, minor contributor matched Martin.
  • Stains O, P: Matched Zimmerman
  • Stain U: Not able to determine contributors, but Martin was included.
  • Stain V: Not able to match, but Martin and Zimmerman could not be excluded
  • Stain Z: Positive for blood, but results too limited
  • Stain BB: Zimmerman included as contributor, not able to exclude or include Martin.

The rest of the stains were negative for blood and not further tested. The stain that matched Martin’s DNA was located on the right cuff of the jacket.

Zimmerman’s long-sleeved shirt had 16 stains tested, all of which tested positive for his own DNA except for two that were negative for blood.

In cross examination with West, Gorgone pointed out the stains with DNA on the actual items of clothing in their evidence containers.

West also pointed out the clothing was packaged in plastic bags.

Gorgone said when he got the items to test, the gray sweatshirt was damp and the hooded one was more damp and had a “pungent” odor, suggesting mold.

He confirmed that the clothing should have been air dried decreasing the risk of damaging the biological evidence.

Early start

Friday, court will resume at 8:30 a.m., a half hour earlier before usual. Judge Nelson mentioned the state had planned on resting their case today, but that didn’t happen.

When it does, the defense will begin offering their witnesses.