Juror removed from Florida retrial after report he questioned prosecutor's ability

By Susan Cooper Eastman JACKSONVILLE Fla. (Reuters) - A juror was removed on Saturday in the Florida trial of a white man accused of murdering an unarmed black teen after a published report the jury member questioned the competence of the state attorney handling the racially charged case. Judge Russell Healey removed the juror shortly before testimony began on the third day of the retrial of software engineer Michael Dunn, 47, who is charged with the first-degree murder of Jordan Davis, 17, during a gas station dispute over loud rap music. Healey announced the move when court resumed, but did not explain why the juror had been excused. The juror was cited by a local online publication, Folio Weekly, in an interview with journalist Richard David Smith, who was called for jury duty but not picked to serve during Dunn's retrial. Smith said one of the jurors chosen for the retrial, whom he described as an obese, male school teacher, told him State Attorney Angela Corey "would have a hard time proving to a court that I am fat; there would still be reasonable doubt." The Dunn case has drawn comparisons to that of another Florida man, George Zimmerman, who was acquitted of murder last year in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager. Corey was appointed by Florida Governor Rick Scott as special prosecutor in the Zimmerman case, and has been criticized by civil rights activists and some lawyers for her handling of several high-profile trials, including the Zimmerman case. She has vigorously defended her record. The Dunn juror was replaced by another white man, leaving the racial composition of the 12-member panel unchanged, with 10 whites and 2 blacks. Dunn fired 10 rounds at an SUV carrying Davis and three friends in November 2012. Prosecutors say Dunn overreacted after Davis insulted him for asking the teenagers to lower the volume of the music. Dunn's lawyers say he acted in self-defense because of a "perceived threat" that his life was in danger. In a February trial, a jury deadlocked on the murder charge but convicted Dunn on three counts of attempted murder for firing at the three teens who survived in the vehicle. Dunn could face 60 years in prison for those convictions. Sentencing has been postponed until after his retrial. (Writing by David Adams; Editing by Peter Cooney)