George Zimmerman VERDICT HAS BEEN DELIVERED. NOT GUILTY IN THE SHOOTING DEATH OF 17 YEAR OLD TRAYVON MARTIN! 7.25.13 Zimmerman juror to ABC: He 'got away with murder'

Arraignment date of May 29 at 1:30PM. I have not had a lot of time to read everything. What, if any, is his bond?

I was surprised that O'Mara did not ask for a surety bond release.

I didn't hear the judge say anything about bail, but I didn't hear the whole thing. It looked like Zimmerman had lost a lot of weight...Understandable under the circumstances.

I didn't watch it so I don't know about bail either. If Trayvon's Mom is saying this was an accident why is he charged with second degree murder? I heard yesterday that implies malice but if it was an accident then where's the malice?

I agree. That really threw me when she said that. Either it was done w/malice or NOT.

FGS!! The media is having a fricking field day w/this!! He's in the clink, he has pro bono counseling. Period. Get on w/other news.

They are discussing whether O'Mara can ask for bond in two weeks. Possible, they are saying. Now, they are comparing it to the Anthony case. Geez!

Right after I said that, I found this.

Casey Anthony's Lawyer: Trayvon Martin's Family Guilty of "Racial Bigotry"

By Kyle Munzenrieder Thu., Apr. 12 2012 at 11:00 AM

Cheney Mason, the lawyer who will forever be known as the guy who got Casey Anthony off charges of killing her daughter, has decided to open his mouth about the Trayvon Martin case. His remarks were not only critical of Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey, but also of Trayvon Martin's family. Mason apparently thinks they're spreading racial bigotry.

Police were originally prepared to charge George Zimmerman with manslaughter on the night of Trayvon Martin's murder before a prosecutor decided there wasn't enough evidence. Last night, Corey announced she would be pursuing a harsher second-degree murder charge.

"It's political prostitution," Mason told the Miami Herald. "Now I don't have all the facts -- no one does -- but you look at what we know of the case and it looks like the prosecutor bowed to other pressures."

Of course, Corey's harsher charges may be part of a strategy to get Zimmerman to accept a lower charge during a plea deal, and a jury could end up convicting Zimmerman of lesser charges.

Mason also thinks there's a lot of racial bigotry floating around in this case, but he doesn't think most of it is coming from Zimmerman's family or supporters.

"The fact is there is lots of racial bigotry in this case," Mason said. "And a lot of it is coming from the side of Trayvon Martin's family. I can understand why his family is upset. They lost a child. But they weren't at the crime scene. None of us was."

"None of us was?" Well that grammatical flap was only the second most ignorant thing in that quote.

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Statement from Sybrina Fulton clarifying earlier comments:

"Earlier today, I made a comment to the media that was later mischaracterized. When I referenced the word 'accident' today with regard to Trayvon's death, in NO way did I mean the shooting was an accident. We believe that George Zimmerman stalked my son and murdered him in cold blood. The 'accident' I was referring to was the fact that G...eorge Zimmerman and my son ever crossed paths. It was an accidental encounter. If George Zimmerman hadn't gotten out of his vehicle, this entire incident would have been avoided. My son was profiled, followed and murdered by George Zimmerman, and there was nothing accidental about that."

Benjamin L. Crump, Esq.

Source: Criminal Profiler Pat Brown's FB page

Mark Nejame said Zimmerman's pro bono attorney is TOP NOTCH!

He used to be on Fox News and was a commentator in the Anthony case. I knew I'd heard the name before although I am hard pressed to watch FAUX News.

I was wondering who this lawyer was and where he came from, thanks for the info. I still don't recognize him or his name.

NG sure did get the scoop on her show last night with Trayvon Parents. I was so confused yesterday morning when I saw Trayvon Mom say it was an accident in an interview. I am so glad it was clarified what she meant by an accident.

She discussed it with others as well.

When I started this thread, I had NO idea of the firestorm brewing. WOW!! I am glad and Relieved Zimmerman is behind bars. But, I wish all of the major outlets would Move ON with something else. Until he is either bailed out or has a trial or both, really..what more can be said? And, NG needs to discuss other cases..

Off topic but she never did apologize re: Whitney.

Media: Please MOVE ON!

I w/not be posting here unless something compelling happens.

I feel the same way about the media and I'm sick of turning on the TV and every major channel is the same thing. I really feel for Trayvon's parents and I do feel Zimmerman should have been charged in the beginning but now I just wish the media would let it go and wait for the trial!!!

Zimmerman attorney was Casey Anthony commentator
Published April 12, 2012

ORLANDO, Fla. – When Casey Anthony stood trial last summer in her toddler's death, Mark O'Mara became a familiar face on local television making daily critiques of prosecutors and defense attorneys in the world-famous case.
Legal experts will now train their sights on O'Mara, who faces the parsing of his every move by a hungry public now that he is defending the neighborhood watch volunteer charged with killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
O'Mara took on the job Wednesday, the day that a special prosecutor filed a second-degree murder charge against George Zimmerman, the 28-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer who says he shot the unarmed teen in self-defense.
Before he was a legal expert at the trial of Anthony, who was acquitted of killing her 2-year-old daughter, O'Mara had a 27-year career pursuing self-defense cases, among others, but none that made headlines beyond the state line. Attorneys who know him used words like self-effacing and deliberate to describe him.
"He is not someone who is going to loud-talk or try to be bossy," said defense attorney Randy McCLean. "I think he comes across as knowledgeable and confident."
They couldn't imagine O'Mara would have staged a news conference like Zimmerman's ex-attorneys did on Tuesday, announcing on television they could no longer represent Zimmerman since he hadn't called them back and seemed to be behaving erratically.
O'Mara, 56, did stand before cameras Wednesday and Thursday after his client made a brief appearance before a Seminole County magistrate on second-degree murder charges. He said he wasn't taking a fee from Zimmerman and expressed concern about the release of papers that could violate the privacy of his client and Martin.
"He's frightened," O'Mara said of his client. He described the case as "a horrible intersection of two young men's lives and it ended in tragedy. We have to figure out how it happened, why it happened and who might be responsible for it."
In separate interviews with The Associated Press, O'Mara said he joined the case after being contacted by Zimmerman's family who had heard about him through other attorneys. When asked why he took the case, given Zimmerman's unpopularity, he said, "It's what I do."
He added, "I've done it for a long, long time. I think I'm pretty good at it. Mr. Zimmerman needs a very good and focused defense so we're going to build him one."
In the minutes after it became public that O'Mara was Zimmerman's new attorney, phones at the attorney's Orlando office began ringing nonstop Wednesday. The ringing made it difficult to hear what special prosecutor Angela Corey was saying as she announced the charges over a television at his office in a converted craftsman bungalow.
Zimmerman fatally shot Martin on Feb. 26 while the neighborhood watch volunteer was patrolling his gated community in Sanford, a town of 50,000 outside Orlando. Martin was walking back from a convenience store to the home of his father's fiancé when Zimmerman spotted him from his truck. He called 911 to report a suspicious person, then began following Martin. Moments later, residents heard shouts for help and a gunshot. Martin was found dead with a shot to the chest.
Zimmerman told authorities that he shot Martin in self-defense. Florida's so-called "stand your ground" law gives people wide latitude to use deadly force rather than retreat during a fight. O'Mara has said his client would invoke the law, and could ask a judge to drop the case at a pretrial hearing before it reaches a jury.
O'Mara said that Zimmerman hasn't given him any details yet about what happened that night. He asked that some documents related to Zimmerman's arrest be sealed at a brief first appearance hearing; the judge didn't immediately rule.
O'Mara has had a wide-ranging practice throughout his career; he said he hasn't yet argued a case before a jury that involved a direct invocation of the state's 7-year-old "stand your ground" law.
"It is going to be a facet of this defense, I'm sure," O'Mara said. "That statute has some troublesome portions to it and we're now going to have some conversations and discussions about it as a state. But right now it is the law of Florida and it is the law that is going to have an impact on this case."
Public Defender Bob Wesley, who knew O'Mara in law school, said he has a reputation for hard work.
"He was always a grinder, working, working, working," said Wesley, whose jurisdiction covers metro Orlando. "He will be hardworking and humble and diligently prepare the case for presentation."
O'Mara, lanky and with reddish hair, grew up in Queens and followed his parents to Florida following high school after his father retired as president of a fire officers union. He knew in grade school he wanted to be an attorney when he grew up.
"As a good Irish Catholic boy, the first possibility was to be a priest," O'Mara said. "The second one was to be a lawyer."
He attended college at University of Central Florida and law school at Florida State. Married with no children, his hobbies include training German shepherds, boating and photography.
As a defense attorney, O'Mara said he sees himself as the "front line" in protecting civil liberties.
"People harass criminal defense attorneys some time, but it's like going to a dentist — you never really want to go to one but you want them there when you need one," O'Mara said. "Not to sound too uppity about it, but we're the ones who really make sure the rest of us can enjoy the liberties that the Constitution guarantees, and that it's done right if it's going to be done at all."

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I must admit that I have been totally sick of all of this with Trayvon Martin. Very tired of the Media, Sharpton, Jackson involved in this. Move on and let the courts handle this. I really do not know what the truth is here.

I think the media went way overboard with this case and I don't know if the truth will come out. I'm interested to see if it can be proven that Zimmerman was 'attacked' by Martin and if there's records that he had a broken nose and a split open head then I might believe a him a little more. BUT I do think he was a 'wannabe cop' thus the reason he armed himself with a gun to do neighborhood watch.. I also believe Martin stood out in that neighborhood as someone 'different', like he didn't belong there but he did as his Dad was visiting his fiancé and Martin was with him. That FL law 'stand your ground' is going to be a big deal in this case one way or another I think. But what I cannot wrap my head around is that the 17 year old kid was killed and Zimmerman did it, so why should he get off, certainly he should be charged with something. That's as far as my thinking goes right now. I don't know what to believe in the media and with Sharpton and Jackson stirring the pot who knows how this is going to be unraveled. The courts need to try to straighten it out and then all sides are just going to have to shut up and accept it. MOO!

Lisette thanks for posting that article. I think VH will miss the boat if we don't blog about this case. I had heard or read some where that Trayvon was shot in the back. Now I read he was shot once in the chest. I do believe the truth will come out and justice will prevail.

Shot in the back is not good to me. I still have not gotten any protection for myself or the training that I want first. I still intend to. Just last week here a young man broke into a ladies home at 7:30a.m., she was still asleep in her bed. He got on top of her and told her to give him her purse. She said it felt like he had a knife in her side. He said something to her about her being lucky he did not cut her throat. She gave him her purse and the handle got caught on the screen door handle as he was running out and he just left it and went on. So he did not get anything. That is exactly why I want protection. I never want to be scared like I was before.

I have been meaning to order a book that a lawyer in Columbus had written about your rights and what to do or not do to protect yourself if you have protection. I need to look that info up again.

I think you should go get that training PFF. It's just like the tornados, one never thinks it's going to happen to them but it has happened to you before! That woman is lucky that at the very least she wasn't raped and she's really lucky he didn't slit her throat. Do you have a dog? Maybe it would help if you had at least a medium sized dog that could live in the house with you.
I agree, if Trayvon was shot in the back, that sure tells a story. I hope the truth can come out in the trial.

Nope, we have no dogs and don't really want one either.

We have the one cat and I keep telling him that he knows who was trying to break-in here, as he sat looking right at the front door, as the guy was knocking on the door. But, when the pounding and kicking started in he ran and hid under my bed. Big chicken!!!. He had a better view than I did, but he is not talking. Think we will just quit feeding him until he talks. at myself.

My husband worked with a guy, younger than we are, that owns or is a part owner of the Shooting Range here. He quit work years back because he won a big lottery and then won again. I did go out there after the break-in first happened and he has told me to come back and he will help me. They do offer the Concealed Carry Course. We saw him at a gas station la while back and I did ask him what the cost was to come and practice and he said that he will take care of me. (Then I hurt my shoulder and that did that in for then. I think I can do it now though.) He really does not live that far from me and ask me why I did not call him as he would have been here right away, and he would have been right here. Just no time to think about it, I guess. Next time I will not stay on the phone with the dispatch operator, like I was told to do. Have a to do list to start, I guess.

I don't know where Trayvon was shot. The article lisette posted said he was shot in the chest. So what I heard was probably a rumor? One day when this gets to trial we will know for sure where he was shot.

I saw that the article that lisette posted said that he was shot in the chest.

I hope you are right LM. I hope the truth comes out.

I just heard on a radio talk show that Zimmerman's brother said that Trayvon sat on Zimmerman's face after he broke Zimmerman's nose and that Zimmerman couldn't breath and that's when he pulled the gun and shot Trayvon.
The talk show hosts question was this: If Zimmerman couldn't breath because Trayvon was sitting on his face....how was he able to scream? The scream came just prior to the gun shot and Zimmerman's brother claims that the screams came from his brother George.

I just get more confused with every new thing I read or hear. I guess we'll have to wait for the trial but for the life of me how many more things are going to come out that seem to contradict the last thing we heard.....

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

A Florida judge will decide by Friday whether to recuse herself from the murder trial of the neighborhood watch volunteer charged with shooting Trayvon Martin.

But a source in the Seminole County courthouse said a decision from Judge Jessica Recksiedler could come much sooner, possibly by Wednesday.

A lawyer for accused killer George Zimmerman has filed a motion requesting that Recksiedler step down from the case because of a potential conflict of interest.

The jurist revealed last week that a partner at her husband’s law firm was approached by Zimmerman about representation, and recommended his current defense lawyer, Mark O’Mara. The law partner also will be doing television commentary on Zimmerman’s prosecution.

“This case is going to get so much scrutiny, it makes sense to address it and resolve it now,” O’Mara said about his motivation for asking for a new judge.

“It’s much better now than later.”

Recksiedler is on temporary assignment from the Florida Supreme Court. Her timeline for a decision was announced in a court-issued news statement.

Zimmerman, 28, was charged last week with second-degree murder. He has said that Trayvon’s hoodie aroused his suspicions and led him to follow the 17-year-old as he walked through a gated residential community on his way home from buying snacks on Feb. 26.

Zimmerman, who was not initially charged by local police, says he shot the unarmed teen once in the chest in self-defense after Trayvon attacked him.
The accused, who is being held in the Seminole County Jail, will appear in court for a bond hearing Friday, but it was not clear whether that would take place on schedule if Recksiedler recuses herself.

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IMO "YES She Should Step Down From Hearing This Case"
The events that led to Treyvon's death, true or not have taken on the undertones of being racially motivated. I think anything that appears as a conflict to a fair and impartial trial, needs to get weeded out now!

and I also agree w/Raine. What is the REAL deal w/this case. I do NOT think the "help" cry was from Zimmerman. It sounded like a kid or a teen. I think Zimmerman is racist and gun happy and it has been stated he made 40 plus calls to police in a 12 mo period re: "suspicious activity". GMAB! And what "night watchmen" packs a 9mm?? MOO!

So the article Nite posted says Zimmerman shot Martin in the chest. When are they (media) going to make up their minds (rhetorical). I agree, this judge must step down, this case has to be a clean as it can possibly be.
And Wrap, 'And what "night watchmen" packs a 9mm?' A wannabe cop!!!!! JMOO of course!

Raine, I agree w/your MOO!!!

IMO "YES She Should Step Down From Hearing This Case"
The events that led to Treyvon's death, true or not have taken on the undertones of being racially motivated. I think anything that appears as a conflict to a fair and impartial trial, needs to get weeded out now!

Oh yes, I do so agree with you Nite!!!

(CNN) -- A Florida judge Wednesday approved a motion to disqualify herself from the criminal case involving a neighborhood watch volunteer who fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, according to the court.
The defense team for George Zimmerman requested Monday that Seminole Circuit Judge Jessica Recksiedler, who was assigned to Zimmerman's case, be removed after she revealed that her husband works with a CNN legal analyst.
Zimmerman's defense attorney, Mark O'Mara, had said Monday he was confident the motion would be granted.
Recksiedler said in her decision that while the findings on each basis were "legally insufficient" for disqualification, "the cumulative effect of the events and the totality of the circumstances provides a legally sufficient basis for this court to grant the motion to disqualify," a statement from the court said.
This week, Recksiedler is on temporary assignment from the Florida Supreme Court and is hearing oral arguments at the Fifth District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach, Florida, court spokeswoman Michelle Kennedy said in a statement Tuesday.
Wednesday's order directed the case to be returned to the chief judge for reassignment, who in turn ordered that Judge Kenneth Lester, Jr., be appointed to preside over the Zimmerman case.
Finding a fair judge in Zimmerman case Judge asked to step aside in Martin case Was George Zimmerman weeping in jail? Trayvon Martin case 'peak of an iceberg'
Zimmerman, 28, fatally shot Martin in Sanford, Florida, on February 26, a killing he has said was in self-defense. The case has stirred civil rights activists nationwide and drawn intense publicity.
The city of Sanford has scheduled a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at a church to provide members of the public an opportunity to discuss the incident, according to the Sanford mayor's office. Mayor Jeff Triplett will be among officials attending, the office said.
Recksiedler said last week that she would entertain motions to disqualify her from the trial because her husband is a law partner of Mark NeJame's. Zimmerman approached NeJame about representing him. NeJame is now a CNN contributor, providing analysis on this case.
NeJame said Zimmerman "contacted my office, attempting to reach me, and wanted to hire me to represent him" on March 13. One of his law partners relayed that request to NeJame, who declined. He explained later that he knew how taking on "big national cases (can) take a lot out of you" and wanted to have more time to spend with his children.
"I decided simply not to," the Orlando lawyer said.
NeJame acknowledged Tuesday, "it's an appearance of a conflict, an appearance of an impropriety" for Recksiedler to preside over the case. But he said he thought she did nothing improper by waiting for a request from attorneys instead of offering to recuse herself first.
"I don't think she did anything out of the ordinary for this extraordinary situation," he said.
Meanwhile, media organizations, including CNN, petitioned Recksiedler Monday to reverse an order sealing court records in Zimmerman's prosecution.
Prosecutors did not object when Zimmerman's attorneys asked Recksiedler to seal records last week. The judge ordered the court filings and other records sealed "without giving the public and press an opportunity to oppose closure," the media said in its motion.
Florida law requires a judge to consider whether the records closure is needed to "prevent a serious and imminent threat" to justice, the media members argued.
The court must also find that there is no alternative to sealing the records that would provide a fair trial and that the action would not be "broader than necessary to accomplish this purpose," they said.
In addition to CNN, several broadcasting and newspaper companies -- including the publishers of USA Today, the Miami Herald and The New York Times -- are part of the effort to unseal the documents.
O'Mara said Monday that he favors keeping documents sealed in this case in large part because of concerns that witnesses might be contacted and in danger if certain information is released.
"(Our) overall philosophy (is) to keep the information flow concentrated within the court system," he said. "It's much better handled there."
As to his client, O'Mara said he speaks "at least a couple times a day" with Zimmerman, whom he described as doing well physically but "frightened."
Zimmerman is scheduled to return to court Friday for a bail hearing.
O'Mara says he hopes his client will be eligible for bail after that hearing and eventually be allowed to go free until the trial. If he does get out, though, the lawyer said, there are legitimate fears about Zimmerman's safety.
"There have been a lot of emotions that have come forward in this case, and some of those emotions have shown themselves in bad ways," O'Mara said.
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George Zimmerman apologized Friday to the family of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed African-American teen that he shot in a confrontation that riveted a nation and sparked intense discussions about racial profiling and gun laws.
Zimmerman spoke moments before a Florida judge set a $150,000 bond that will let him get out of jail while he awaits trial.
"I wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your son," Zimmerman said. "I did not know if he was armed."
Before Zimmerman's testimony, his family said he is a caring, nonviolent man who organized a campaign on behalf of a homeless man who had been beaten and mentored an African-American boy for two years, his mother testified Friday during his bond hearing.
"I know that he is very protective of people, very protective of homeless people and also of children," Gladys Zimmerman testified by telephone.
Judge sets $150,000 bond Zimmerman's wife guarantees his return New Martin judge will 'apply the law' Artist depicts Zimmerman in Skittles Zimmerman's dad: He had gashes on head
Zimmerman, 28, is accused of second-degree murder in Martin's death on February 26.
Zimmerman went into hiding immediately after the shooting. Critics have accused him of racially profiling Martin and unjustly killing him.
His family testified Friday that the image is all wrong, saying earlier incidents of violence cited by prosecutors were misunderstandings or efforts to protect himself or a friend, and that he is no danger to the community.
""I've never known him to be violent at all unless he was provoked, and then he would turn the other cheek," Zimmerman's father, Robert Zimmerman Sr. said.
The new judge in the case, Kenneth Lester Jr., presided at the bond hearing.
His wife and parents testified Friday that the family has few assets. They were unable to say how much money has been raised by Zimmerman's online appeal for financial assistance.
Before his arrest, Zimmerman was hiding out of state but remained in touch with authorities, according to police in Sanford, Florida, where the shooting happened.
Natalie Jackson, an attorney for Martin's family, told CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin on Thursday that O'Mara called to set up a private meeting between Zimmerman and the Martin family. The family declined, Jackson said, indicating they want Zimmerman, instead, to give a deposition on what happened the night Martin was shot.
Although details of the shooting remain murky, what is known is that Martin ventured out from the home of his father's fiancee in Sanford and went to a nearby convenience store, where he bought a bag of Skittles and an Arizona Iced Tea.
On his way back, he had a confrontation with Zimmerman, who shot him.
Zimmerman had called 911 to complain about a suspicious person in the neighborhood, according to authorities.
In the call, Zimmerman said he was following Martin after the teen started to run, prompting the dispatcher to tell him, "We don't need you to do that." Zimmerman pursued Martin anyway but then said he lost sight of him.
Martin family rejects Zimmerman meeting Zimmerman prosecutor under fire
According to an Orlando Sentinel story later confirmed by Sanford police, Zimmerman told authorities that after he briefly lost track of Martin, the teen approached him. After the two exchanged words, Zimmerman said, he reached for his cell phone, and then Martin punched him in the nose. Zimmerman said Martin pinned him to the ground and began slamming his head onto the sidewalk, leading to the shooting
Police have said Zimmerman was not immediately charged because there was no evidence to disprove his account that he'd acted in self-defense. A police report indicated he was bleeding from the nose and the back of his head.
Sanford held what was termed a community healing meeting Thursday night.
For some Sanford residents, the Martin case has become a rallying cry, a chance to air what they believe are years of grievances and cases of injustice between the police, the courts and the black community. For others, it has forced them to defend their town as a place that is not inherently racist, a place where a young black man cannot be killed without consequence.
During the meeting, the city offered a plan to improve strained relations between police and the black community. The proposal includes a community relations commission, a blue-ribbon panel to represent community concerns, a diverse interfaith alliance and an anti-violence campaign.
Meanwhile, Florida authorities have picked 17 people to tackle a heated question brought on by the killing of Martin: whether the state's "stand your ground law" should be changed.
The task force, whose membership was announced Thursday, will review the law that allows people to use deadly force when they feel a reasonable threat of death or serious injury.
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A new photograph obtained exclusively by ABC News shows a bloodied George Zimmerman with injuries on the back of his head on the night he shot and killed Trayvon Martin. (ABC)

I thought he broke his nose. Did anyone see any sign of a head wound when he was led out of the police car in that ABC video?

As far as documents being sealed, I would think the Sunshine Law would apply as it did in TMLS's case and ALL documents would be for public viewing. And, he helps the homeless? Really? GMAB!! I don't buy what they are trying to sell!!

I would bet he will "make bail" and would consider him a "flight risk". He's "sorry". Big whoop. He didn't know Trayvon was armed but went ahead and pulled the trigger anyway..couldn't he have shot him (IF he had to shoot him at all) in the foot?

SANFORD, Fla. (KABC) -- George Zimmerman, the Florida neighborhood watch volunteer charged with fatally shooting an unarmed teenager, has been released from jail on $150,000 bail.
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George Zimmerman Released From Florida Jail on $150,000 Bond

By MATT GUTMAN, SENI TIENABESO and KEVIN DOLAK | Good Morning America – 6 hours ago

George Zimmerman has been released from a Florida jail after posting $150,000 bond as he awaits trial for the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Zimmerman exited the John E. Polk Correctional Facility (JEPCF) at the Seminole County Sheriff's Office at approximately midnight on Monday. The 28-year-old posted bond and was fitted with an electronic monitoring device prior to release, according to a statement from the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.
The GPS device, which can give immediate identification of an offender's whereabouts at any given time, will be monitored by the SCSO and Seminole County Probation.

At a bond hearing on Friday morning Judge Kenneth Lester agreed to allow Zimmerman, who is charged with second degree murder, to post a $150,000 bond to get out of jail. The prosecution had argued that Zimmerman should be denied bail or that it should be set at $1 million.

Zimmerman is being held on charges of second-degree murder for the Feb. 26 shooting of Martin, 17, which could carry a life sentence if he is convicted.
George Zimmerman stunned a Florida court Friday by taking the stand and apologizing to the parents of Trayvon Martin, who were sitting in the courtroom during Zimmerman's bond hearing.

"I am sorry for the loss of your son. I did not know how old he was. I thought he was a little bit younger than I am. I did not know if he was armed or not,"

Zimmerman said addressing Martin's family directly.
Zimmerman told police the night he shot and killed Martin that he acted in self-defense after Martin punched him and pounced on him. Zimmerman told police that Martin then bashed his head into the concrete sidewalk during the altercation that took place in the tidy middle-class development of the Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford, Fla.

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I would bet Zimmerman scared Martin big time as he was following him after being told by the 911 operator NOT to. I would also bet that Zimmerman grabbed Martin and Martin punched him and then Zimmerman shot him in cold blood. So was it "self-defense?" NO! Had he NOT followed him, Martin would be alive today.

Did I read it right? He was released at midnight? Sounds like someone else we blogged about.

It says he was released at midnight. I am sure The Today Show and GMA w/be all over this.

By msnbc.com news services

Updated at 4:54 a.m. ET: SANFORD, Fla. -- George Zimmerman, the former neighborhood watch volunteer charged with second-degree murder in the killing of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, was released early on Monday from a Florida county jail on $150,000 bail.

Wearing a brown jacket, jeans and carrying a brown paper bag, Zimmerman walked out of the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Seminole County moments after midnight after posting bail and meeting other conditions set for his release at a pretrial detention hearing on Friday. His ultimate destination is being kept secret for his safety and it could be outside Florida.

Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester said at the hearing Friday that Zimmerman cannot have any guns and must observe a 7 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew. Zimmerman also surrendered his passport.

Zimmerman had to put up 10 percent, or $15,000, to make bail. His father had indicated he might take out a second mortgage.
Zimmerman worked at a mortgage risk-management company at the time of the shooting and his wife is in nursing school. A website was set up to collect donations for Zimmerman's defense fund. It is unclear how much has been raised.

Bail is not unheard of in second-degree murder cases, and legal experts had predicted it would be granted for Zimmerman because of his ties to the community, because he turned himself in after he was charged last week, and because he has never been convicted of a serious crime.

Prosecutors had asked for $1 million bail, citing two previous scrapes Zimmerman had with the law, neither of which resulted in charges. In 2005, he had to take anger management courses after he was accused of attacking an undercover officer who was trying to arrest Zimmerman's friend. In another incident, a girlfriend accused him of attacking her.

Zimmerman, 28, fatally shot Martin, 17, on Feb. 26 inside the gated community where Zimmerman lived during an altercation. Martin, who was visiting from Miami, was unarmed and was walking back to the home of his father's fiancée when Zimmerman saw him, called 911 and began following him. A fight broke out -- investigators say it is unknown who started it.

Zimmerman says Martin attacked him and he shot in self-defense, citing Florida's "stand your ground" law, which gives broad legal protection to anyone who says they used deadly force because they feared death or great bodily harm.

Zimmerman was not charged for over six weeks, sparking national protests. Martin was black; Zimmerman's father is white and his mother is from Peru.

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Sanford, Florida Police Chief Bill Lee, who temporarily stepped down from his position in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting, will officially resign on Monday afternoon, a source within the Sanford Police Department told CBS News.

The Sanford City Commissioners' Office said in a news release Monday that they would vote at a meeting later in the day to approve Lee's resignation.

According to CBS affiliate WKMG, Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett has called a special meeting with city commissioners at 4 p.m. A public notice for the meeting only stated commissioners would consider adoption of a "resolution relating to the police department."

Lee temporarily stepped down March 22 following the public outcry after his department declined to arrest George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who confessed to fatally shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in what he claimed was self-defense. Capt. Darren Scott has been serving as acting police chief, according to WKMG.

Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in Martin's death and was released from jail early Monday on $150,000 bail.

A source within the Sanford Police Department said one of the acting chiefs may offer his resignation today as well.
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A source within the Sanford Police Department said one of the acting chiefs may offer his resignation today as well.

The SFP has a bad reputation and has for decades. Pretty pathetic when the "acting chief" may offer his resignation as well!

We need to make sure he gets introduced to Casey Anthony. They would be perfect for each other.

New info has emerged revealing the volatile past of George Zimmerman, the 28-year-old neighborhood watch captain that shot and killed Trayvon Martin inside a Sanford, Florida gated community complex.

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I agree. She needs to be introduced to Zimmerman and Scott Peterson. Maybe even Drew.

By Dylan Stableford | The Lookout – 4 hrs ago

George Zimmerman's 2005 Myspace page, unearthed by the Miami Herald on Wednesday, suggests Trayvon Martin's shooter had a history of racial profiling.

On Wednesday, Zimmerman's lawyer, Mark O'Mara, confirmed that the page—registered under the username "onlytobekingagain"—was real.
In the "About me" section, Zimmerman—identified as "Joe G."—expressed resentment toward Mexicans living in his former Manassas, Va., community:

I dont miss driving around scared to hit mexicans walkin on the side of the street, soft ass wanna be thugs messin with peoples cars when they aint around (what are you provin, that you can dent a car when no ones watchin) dont make you a man in my book. Workin 96 hours to get a decent pay check, gettin knifes pulled on you by every mexican you run into!

Zimmerman lists his ethnicity on MySpace as "Latino / Hispanic," religion as "Catholic," his height as 5'10" and sexual orientation as "straight." According to his 2005 profile, he's a non-smoker, a drinker, a Libra and would like children "someday." He graduated from Osbourn High School in Manassas in 2001, and had 39 friends on MySpace.

In a post dated Aug. 24, 2005, Zimmerman downplayed an alleged domestic dispute involving his ex-girlfriend:

"Im still free! The ex hoe tried her hardest, but the judge saw through it! Big Mike, reppin the Dverse security makin me look a million bucks, broke her down! Thanks to everyone for checkin up on me!"

In another, on Aug. 30, 2005, he boasted about how a pair of felony charges related to an alleged assault on a police officer were dropped.

"2 felonies dropped to 1 misdemeanor!!!!!!!!!!!"

Zimmerman wrote.

O'Mara initially tried to get Zimmerman—who ignored advice from his former lawyers and launched a website that solicited PayPal donations for his defense—to remove his Web presence out of fear of tainting a potential jury pool. But after learning that the site had raised more than $200,000, O'Mara launched GZLegalCase.com, a site that includes a space for supporters to donate to Zimmerman's defense fund.

"Some have called it unethical, and some have called it brilliant; however, we believe much of the controversy is about the medium, not the message," O'Mara wrote in a blog post on the site. "Using social media in a high-profile lawsuit is new, and relatively unprecedented, but that is only because social media itself is relatively new. We repeat our contention that social media in this day and age cannot be ignored, and it would be, in fact, irresponsible to ignore the robust online conversation."

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Not surprised!

By Bakari Savage, Reporter
Last Updated: Monday, May 14, 2012 @ 07:10AM

SANFORD --
George Zimmerman's attorney is expected to get a look at some of the prosecution's key evidence against his client Monday.

But the public may not get a look at any of it -- at least not yet.

Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for shooting and killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in February. Zimmerman has claimed he shot the teen in self-defense, but state prosecutors said the evidence they have collected suggests otherwise.

Normally, such evidence would be made public right away, but attorney Mark O'Mara said he wants to redact some of that information first.

O'Mara said he is trying to do what's best for his client, and he believes the only way for Zimmerman to get a fair trial is to not release the names of witnesses.

According to Zimmerman's attorney, making those names public would put witnesses out there to be hounded by the media. O'Mara said he feels that could jeopardize his client's trial.

O'Mara is expected to file a motion in court Monday to stop the public release of the evidence, so he can redact witnesses' names first.
The information set to be released to O'Mara Monday goes all the way back to Feb. 26, the night of the shooting.

Zimmerman offered an apology to Trayvon Martin's parents at a bond hearing in April, but Martin's family later said they rejected that apology.

What O'Mara is about to get a look at is information that has only been known to those involved in the shooting investigation.

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By Graham Winch
updated 12:53 PM EDT, Tue May 15, 2012



A document filed in the Trayvon Martin murder case gives a glimpse into the prosecution’s case against George Zimmerman.

The eight page document was filed with the Seminole County, Florida, clerk of court Monday and includes a list of possible witnesses prosecutors plan to call. It also identifies several pieces of evidence they expect to show jurors in their effort to get a conviction for second-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin.

SEE: The prosecution’s filing listing witnesses and evidence to be used at trial

Most civilian names are redacted from the document, but six civilian witnesses are named: Trayvon's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin; his brother, Jahvarius Fulton; Zimmerman's neighbor, Frank Taaffe, friend Joe Oliver and the defendant’s father, Robert Zimmerman. The document also lists 18 Sanford police officers -- including lead Investigator Chris Serino -- as primary witnesses.



The evidence list includes two new pieces of video evidence from the night of the shooting that had not been made public before. One video element includes footage from the 7-Eleven store where Martin purchased Skittles and iced tea. Another video includes footage from the neighborhood clubhouse near where Martin was shot.

The document also refers to specific reports, such as the medical examiner’s report. Those reports are not attached to the document filed with the clerk of court, but they were sent to Zimmerman’s attorneys. It still isn’t clear when these reports will become public record.

On Monday, Zimmerman’s attorney Mark O’Mara said he received the prosecution’s evidence at his office. The evidence was delivered on dozens of CDs and “numerous” paper documents.

"It's 67 CDs. That's about all I know," O'Mara said.

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VIDEO ON LINK

WFTV has confirmed that autopsy results show 17-year-old Trayvon Martin had injuries to his knuckles when he died.

The information could support George Zimmerman's claim that Martin beat him up before Zimmerman shot and killed him.

The autopsy results come as Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O’Mara continues to go over other evidence in the case.

O’Mara wouldn't comment on the autopsy evidence, but WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said it's better for the defense than it is for the prosecution.

WFTV has learned that the medical examiner found two injuries on Martin’s body: The fatal gunshot wound and broken skin on his knuckles.

When you compare Trayvon’s non-fatal injury with Zimmerman's bloody head wounds, the autopsy evidence is better for the defense, Sheaffer said.

“It goes along with Zimmerman's story that he acted in self-defense, because he was getting beaten up by Trayvon Martin,” Sheaffer said.

The injury to Martin’s knuckle also fits with Zimmerman's story that before he shot and killed Martin, Martin had broken his nose and knocked him to the ground, slamming his head on the sidewalk.

But Sheaffer said there could be another explanation for Martin's knuckle injury.

“It could be consistent with Trayvon either trying to get away or defend himself,” Sheaffer said.

Zimmerman shot and killed the unarmed teenager almost three months ago after calling 911 to report the teenager was acting suspiciously.

Zimmerman said Martin threw the first punch and that he opened fire in self-defense after his screams for help went unanswered.

The FBI was not able to determine whether it was Zimmerman or Trayvon who could be heard crying out for help in 911 calls.

The defense is trying to decide what evidence it wants a judge to keep confidential before the media gets a chance to see it, but WFTV is being told that could happen in the next week or so.

In the meantime, there’s new information surfacing about Zimmerman.

ABC News said it has obtained Zimmerman's medical report from the day after the killing. According to ABC, the report shows Zimmerman had a broken nose and abrasions on the back of his head.

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A medical report compiled by the family physician of accused Trayvon Martin murderer George Zimmerman and obtained exclusively by ABC News found that Zimmerman was diagnosed with a “closed fracture” of his nose, a pair of black eyes, two lacerations to the back of his head and a minor back injury the day after he fatally shot Martin during an alleged altercation.

Zimmerman faces a second-degree murder charge for the Feb. 26 shooting that left the unarmed 17-year-old high school junior dead. Zimmerman has claimed self-defense in what he described as a life-and-death struggle that Martin initiated by accosting him and punching him in the face, then repeatedly bashing his head into the pavement.

Also Tuesday, a trove of documents are being examined by lawyers for both the defense and prosecution as part of discovery in Zimmerman’s trial — including 67 CDs’ worth of documents, video of Martin on the night of the shooting, his autopsy report and videos of Zimmerman’s questioning by police.

Zimmerman’s three-page medical report is included in those documents that the defense could use as evidence.

The morning after the shooting, on Feb. 27, Zimmerman sought treatment at the offices of a general physician at a family practice near Sanford, Fla. The doctor notes Zimmerman sought an appointment to get legal clearance to return to work.

The record shows that Zimmerman also suffered bruising in the upper lip and cheek and lower back pain. The two lacerations on the back of his head, one of them nearly an inch long, the other about a quarter-inch long, were first revealed in photos obtained exclusively by ABC News last month.

But the report also shows Zimmerman declined hospitalization the night of the shooting, and then declined the advice of his doctor to make a follow-up appointment with an ear, nose and throat doctor.

In addition to his physical injuries, Zimmerman complained of stress and “occasional nausea when thinking about the violence.” But he was not diagnosed with a concussion. The doctor noted that it was “imperative” that Zimmerman “be seen with [sic] his psychologist for evaluation.”

According to the report, prior to the shooting Zimmerman had been prescribed Adderall and Temazepam, medications that can cause side effects such as agitation and mood swings, but in fewer than 10 percent of patients.

A neighbor told ABC News that the day after the shooting he saw Zimmerman as he spoke to officers outside his home. He too recalled seeing black eyes and significant swelling — as well as a bandage over his nose.

Moments after the shooting Zimmerman told eyewitnesses he shot Martin in self-defense. He later told officers his head was being pounded into the pavement and that he feared for his life, but that it was only when Martin seemed to reach for the gun wedges in his waistband that Zimmerman drew his weapon and fired directly into Martin’s chest — killing him.

The medical notes may bolster Zimmerman’s claim that he acted in self-defense because he was being attacked. However, the prosecution contends that Zimmerman instigated the confrontation after profiling the teen, who was walking home after buying Skittles and ice tea. They prosecution says Martin was breaking no laws and was not disturbing anyone as he walked back to his father’s girlfriend’s home.

Zimmerman was granted a $150,000 bail and has since been in deep hiding since his April 20 bail hearing.

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