AG Holder: if evidence in Trayvon Martin case warrants, Justice Department will act

WASHINGTON - Attorney General Eric Holder says the Justice Department will take appropriate action in the Trayvon Martin case if it finds evidence that a federal criminal civil rights crime has been committed.

The attorney general made the comment in an appearance Wednesday before a civil rights organization founded by the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Holder says the department will conduct a thorough and independent review of the evidence in the Martin case.

The attorney general also says one of the department's top priorities is preventing and combating youth violence and victimization.