By the CNN Wire Staff
(CNN) – The family of Trayvon Martin on Friday bolstered their efforts to keep the slain 17-year-old’s school records private as attorneys for the man charged in his killing were in court to request subpoenas for the material.
“I feel Travyon school records are not relevant in this case,” said his father, Tracy Martin.
“I think it’s wrong that we attack the victim. Our first priority shouldn’t be to assassinate the character of the victims and make dead children seem as though they’re the perpetrator,” he said.
Circuit Judge Debra Nelson is expected to determine whether officials of Miami-area schools attended by Martin should hand over documents that could include his grades, attendance and any disciplinary action.
George Zimmerman, 28, is charged with second-degree murder in Martin’s February 26 shooting death in Sanford, Florida.
Zimmerman was a volunteer neighborhood watchman patrolling a gated community when the shooting occurred.
Zimmerman has claimed self-defense, saying Martin charged him after the two exchanged words, knocked him to the ground and banged his head repeatedly against a concrete sidewalk.
His trial is set for June.
Martin’s death sparked nationwide protests and inflamed public passions over race relations and gun control, as well as Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows the use of deadly force when a person perceives a threat to safety.
Attorneys for Zimmerman could not be immediately reached for comment.
