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Potential Zimmerman trial juror dismissed over Facebook comment

SANFORD, Fla. — Attorneys are getting closer to seating a jury in the George Zimmerman murder trial.

WFTV spoke to one potential juror who was dismissed Wednesday after the court found he posted a scathing comment on Facebook about the case.

The juror said he doesn't remember posting anything on Facebook.

He said he didn't remember a thing in court, but did when he talked to Channel 9's Ryan Hughes.

He asked to be referred to by his juror number only: E7.

Prospective juror E7 said some people want him charged with perjury, which is unlikely.

The prospective juror was in the hot seat for nearly an hour being grilled by attorneys for both sides Wednesday.

"So certainly you've never been on one of those websites, or posted a comment or participated in a discussion?" Zimmerman defense attorney Don West said.

"Ah, no," said E7.

Minutes later, Judge Debra Nelson was presented with information that E7 was mistaken.

"Did you post something on March 21, 2012 under the Coffee Party Progressives?" asked Nelson.

He said "yes" in court late Wednesday and verified that to Eyewitness News Wednesday night.

"Fifteen months ago, when he gets arrested. Oh sure, I'm posting opinions," E7 said.

The Facebook comment got the Lake Mary man dismissed from the jury pool.

"Until they showed it to me, I didn't know I had responded to a website," the prospective juror said.

The posting read, in part: "In Sanford and I can tell you this. Justice is coming."

The prospective juror E7 wrote that he believed Zimmerman's family might've pulled strings and that's why he didn't initially get charged.

"I mean you got one guy minding his own business -- going to his dad's house carrying a soda and Skittles and another guy who think he's Johnny Law. So it begged the question," E7 told reporter Hughes.

"What do you think you would've reached if you were on the jury?" asked Hughes.

"It depends on what the facts were," E7 said.

The court sent Channel 9 an email late Wednesday that said 20 jurors are in the potential pool, and 75 have been dismissed to date for one reason or another.