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Subscribe to RSSGeorge Zimmerman's attorney says his client has pulled in more than $200,000 in donations from his website to help with his defense. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports.
The prosecution in the second-degree murder case against George Zimmerman asked a Florida judge Friday to raise Zimmerman's bond in light of recent revelations that a website for his defense raised more than $200,000.
Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester said he wants to know more about the money before he decides whether to adjust the bond. The judge said he will make a decision at a later date.
Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara revealed Thursday night that his client's website had raised about $204,000 in donations, adding that the money has been placed in an account that can't be accessed directly by Zimmerman or his family.
"He asked me what to do with his PayPal accounts, and I asked him what he was talking about," O'Mara told CNN in an interview on Thursday. "He said those were the accounts that had the money from the website he had. And there was about ... $204,000 that had come in to date."
O'Mara told the judge about the money at a hearing Friday. The hearing was previously scheduled to discuss whether Zimmerman's file should be made public. Zimmerman is accused of second-degree murder in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.
O'Mara told the judge the money is currently in a trust fund that he controls and Zimmerman cannot access.
The website, which was created before Zimmerman turned himself in, has been shut down by O'Mara, who told the court he was not aware of the money it had raised when he spoke at Zimmerman's bond hearing last week. The site included pictures, quotes and a page asking for donations via PayPal.
Zimmerman, 28, the former neighborhood watch volunteer, was released early Monday from a Florida county jail on $150,000 bail. His family put up 10 percent to secure his release.
Martin's family was distressed to hear Zimmerman had raised so much money, considering the bond was set by the judge based on his family's limited wealth, their attorney said.
"They tried to portray themselves as indigent that they did not have any money," Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump said, according to CNN.
"We think that the court should revoke his bond immediately and he should be held accountable for misleading the court," he added.
At the bond hearing last week, Zimmerman's wife told the court she did not know how much money the website had collected in donations, adding that her brother-in-law helped set it up. She said the family is “trying to scrape up anything that we possibly can.”
According to CNN, O'Mara said Zimmerman's defense costs could reach $1 million.
"You can really go through a lot of money on a case like this, with the intensity of it," he said.
At the hearing Friday, the judge said he wouldn't place a gag order on Zimmerman's attorney, denying prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda's request. The prosecutor had complained to the court that O'Mara had been talking about the facts of the case to the media.
Zimmerman says Martin attacked him and he shot in self-defense. He was not charged for more than six weeks, sparking national protests. Martin was black; Zimmerman's father is white and his mother is Hispanic.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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And the money went to an account under daddy magistrate's name. Daddy magistrate should be permanently barred from trying to help his son skirt one thing after another. This is all the fault of daddy magistrate.
Wrong again. The money is in an account that can't be accessed directly by Zimmerman or his family. Quess you didn't read the actual article or, you just like lying.
Originally dummy when the site was working. Now that O'mara found out about it then it is in a trust. But they didn't say who the beneficiary of the trust is, moran. Could be still daddy magistrate so that the Martins cannot get it in the civil suit.
Thanks for the info in comment #421. How did Trayvon access the account if it had been in his father's account? When his father was questioned about whether he could vouch for some of the bail, should not he have made mention of the amount in the paypal fund? (Seems a bit like deception through silence.)
I will find out how to continue donating to the attorneys who are defending justice and representing zimmerman. One more thug off the streets. i will for sure keep donating for his defence.
Awesome! In the meantime, learn how to spell!
Trayvon's girlfriend's statement (testimony) should be weighed equally with that of Zimmerman's.
Very one-sided though.
Trayvon is not here to tell his side. Zimmerman is here to tell his side.
Don't worry. The Martin's family attorney will do enough lying for both sides.
Zimmerman doesn't have to prove his is telling the truth. His innocence is assumed, unless it can be proved without a reasonable doubt he is lying.
The girlfriend testimony is not assumed to be true. It will depend on her perceived credibility.
Today, Zimmerman lost his credibility over the testiMONEY at the bond hearing. Apparently, he had even misled his attorney. News sites today quote Zimmerman's attorney as saying he has learned that Zimmerman has already spent $50,000 of the $200,000 from the Paypal account of the website fundraiser.
He's laughing all the way to the.........oh,yeah......he can't go anywhere!
Hopefully, the Sanford police did a proper job with forensics so that the jury will have accurate information.
I haven't heard that it was illegal for him not to disclose or spend that money. His lawyer thought it best to make the money public for the purpose of transparency.
Everyone5471391--------Your comment #423.4 explains legal workings nicely. As far as your comment #423.8---- When I watched the bond hearing, the judge specially asked what amount of money was in the fund. (This was part of his way of determining the amount for the bail.)
you all have...- What was his reply when the judge asked him specifically about this fund?
The attorney said he did not know.
Well then, now he does and he disclosed it. So anyway, it doesn't sound like anything was done illegally; Unless of course it can be proven the lawyer did know. Apparently it didn't matter at the hearing that he didn't know, they didn't stop everything and make him find out.
I have to think about that....I just feel that Zimmerman was sitting there and listening to the discussion. I does make Zimmerman appear to be keeping the information from the judge (and his attorney who was speaking for Zimmerman) by being silent. The judge might have assumed the attorney had already asked Zimmerman about it. If Zimmerman had informed the judge, the judge might have set a different bail. Who knows?
yahtc
Hope this doesn't come across as being a smart ass.... Add this to your thinking... George was locked up for how many days without access to a computer? How would he know how much had been added to the fund since his arrest. I don't remember the exact timing between MSNBC and rest of media announcing Georges web site and his arrest. Nor do I know specifically when the site was "shut down".
It was shut down Tuesday. Zimmerman either spent the $50,000 all on Monday or before the bond hearing.
They should not raise the Bail. Leave this guy alone and let the chips fall where they may. 200k is not much money. I am sure his bills will be much higher than that. I have been reading everything on this and the more I read about this guy Zimmerman the more I realize he might just be telling the truth. I am talking about all the facts.
The Martin family are just upset that anyone would donate to Zimmerman. They started the media frenzy, and now he will get money for his defense. Who is paying the Martin's lawyer?
Why do they even have a lawyer?????
Probably to guide them through the workings of the legal system.
They are looking after their own interests. $$$$$$$$$$
Then why did you ask the question initially?
The Martins do have a lawyer. He helped them file for a trademark on Trayvon's name for use on tee shirts and CD's.
That tragic night Trayvon probably died thinking he had lost an encounter to a criminal with a gun.
I bet he regrets the NO_LIMIT_NIGGA. That is what will be on his tombstone.
That is so callous and thoughtless!! Your statements lose their potency when you write like that. (Not fair to quote things like that. I have chosen not to say negative things about problems from Zimmerman's past.
It's a fact! He wrote it not me.
Reread my comment #426.2. I already addressed that issue. Therefore, your initial comment was callous and thoughtless. (By the way, because of the way you word your comments, you are hurting Zimmerman.)
My point is that Trayvon apparently was becoming more and more a "dirt bag" and those cute pictures of him that his parents pushed on the media was a Trayvon of years before. That's why they removed his Facebook page with all his gang buddies comments.
I knew what your point was. How long does your battery stay charged on your computer?
Are you following me?
I can't follow (understand) most of your comments because of your strong language. All done, have a nice weekend.
Have a nice trip to Disneyland!
For those of you that believe you can get out of car and follow someone because you think the person looks suspicous, BS. This is a suppose to be a free country. We can come and go as we please. That is the wrong thing to teach any body. Zimmerman should have at least identify himself, and the boy did not have to answer. Zimmerman picked a fight. Period. And, IF IT IS ANYWHERE CLOSE TO BEING TRUE, when he was getting the worst of it, decided to shoot the boy. Crazy lesson learned. Someone can pick a fight and if you start getting the worst of it, and can kill someone and call it self defense. Of course, he didn't know whether the boy had a gun. If he had asked the boy, he might have found out that he was going home. Somebody in the neighborhood that he called himself protecting.
Your assuming a lot JB. He probably told the boy he was calling the police and he got pissed. He was already in trouble and was under investigation for robbery. Zimmerman did not pick anything. God do any of you know what the FACTS are in this case. Arrggggg. TREYVON MARTIN CAME BACK UP THE SIDEWALK AND CONFRONTED AND ASSAULTED GEORGE ZIMMERMAN. Why do I say this? Because there is NO way Treyvon would not have been home. 90 seconds people. Think about that. 90 seconds is a LONG time. Treyvon could have CRAWLED home and none of this would have happened. I'm guessing he was pissed off and was trying to show off for "Dee Dee".
Sounds like you're the one making all the assumptions. Start from the beginning - not the middle. Zimmerman got out of his car and followed the boy. That's what initiated the confrontation.
Yes, a person can get out of their car and walk up to anyone and ask them questions. They can even follow someone around a building and ask them a question.
Not saying that is what happened but there is nothing illegal about it.
@dan...for putting a 90 second time limit for Trayvon to be home
Maybe he didn't want to lead this A-hole stalker up to his father's "GIRLFRIEND'S" doorstep, so he took an alternate route to throw him off track. That was probably when chicken george murdered him....Aarrrgggg
QUESTION for fans of MARTIN >> if the roles were switched, and Martin did the shooting...would OBAMA Hussein BARAK make the statement that if he had a son, it would look like ZIMMERMAN...LOL
Only if he was cheating on Michelle with the maid. You think the Secret service are the only ones having fun in Colombia?
SAVE us from the whores...Oh wait...it's not their fault with Customers Galore from D.C. LOL
Talk about waving your red cape, Bullfighter ! It would much more useful for America if you would fan the flames for a blacksmith instead of on this comment site.
Innocent until proven guity applies to the mindset of the jury during the trial. The rest of us are all free to have our own opinions of the case. It is my opinion that the facts of the case I am aware of at this time point to Zimmerman's guilt, but I have not reached a final conclusion. I will withhold that judgement until all of the facts are brought out in Zimmerman's trial.
It's totally different when you are in that Courtroom and you see and hear the facts. All this hate and nasty stuff on this Blog won't mean a damn thing. They sent in the best of the best to find out the truth and now he has raised enough money for the Best Attorney and no one can say that this Coward, Guilty or Innocent didn't get a FAIR TRIAL.
Coward? Wow he has stood up when most people stuff their heads in the sand. He is no coward...Nice hateful thing to say tho.. have a nice day.
You guys keep the hate going,I am sick of it. Maybe you have nothing else to do.I will treat people right as I have always tried to do.If they do not bother me,all will be fine.Goodbye.
Hispanic until proven white!
LOL !!
Some comments don't deserve any response. I leave that up to like minded people. Not going wherever your mind happen to be.
I'm confused..... How is this a story? So the man raised money for his defense against a Nation that already presumes him guilty!!! I say BRAVO!!!!!!!!!! Good for you Mr. Zimmerman. You rest assured I will be donating as well to try to ensure you get a fair trial.
Yes. Make the best of a bad situation. The lawyers are getting rich. The parents will soon be having bus tours of the Trayvon Memorial Park and Ghetto.
He needs to seek the Real Jesus for some courage.... but that's right, he doesn't believe in him he's Jewish.
Why is this a story? LOL! Allow me to explain, my non-business savvy friend!
Because msnbc is smart enough to realize that every time they print a Martin/Zimmerman story, they get several million hits. These hits last for days (just look at the number of posts to this blog alone). More hits means more money they can charge for advertising space. You want ad space on a Martin/Zimmerman story? It'll cost you! This equals more revenue for msnbc.
Get it?
Jews believe in Jesus. They just don't believe he's God!
Listen to yourself !!!! LMAO!!!!
Old Testament versus New Testament.
So if he doesn't get a fail trail r u going to Riot?
I can't wait to use my riot gear!!!
ZIMMERMAN looks like an honest, God fearing, family man...selected by his NEIGHBORHOOD for the safety of families, and property, and chillins, and dogs, and cats ... why can't LIBERALS see the truth, instead of worrying about free condoms, freebies, and convicting someone without a TRIAL ?? -- oh never mind.
So did Ted Bundy.
Everyone thought Jeffery Dahmer was the perfect neighbor.
"He was so quiet, kept to himself..."
Geez, I hope your naive ass never sits on a jury!
Remember Naive spelled backwards is........EVIAN!
ZIM...you've plenty of fair minded sensible folk contributing toward your defense...and if for nothing else, just to watch LIBERALS wet their pants. LOL
WHERE DO SEND A CHECK ... :D
Remember the riots during the OJ trial - seems the reverse now. They let a guilty man free then and now they're forcing a man to stand trial because of public OPINION!
Not too long ago it was....CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!
Forgive me, but who rioted during the OJ trial???
And the Public didn't have their say in the OJ Trial!!!! You are not very informed!
Zimmerman is standing trial because of the facts of this case whether or not you choose to believe it. Every single law enforecment expert that I've heard comment about this case has stated that Zimmerman should have been arrested the night of the shooting.
You're thinking of Rodney(had a record a mile long)King! He should have been thrown off a bridge.
There were no riots in the OJ trial. You mean Rodney King cops, douche.
Bullfighter, advocating the murder of Rodney King or anyone else is still against the law in the USA. You should be more careful about the hateful things you say.
Freedom of speech is a bitch, right?
Thanks to the Martin family for trying to divide an entire country along racial lines a previously unknown hispanic has been elevated to historic prominence guaranteeing that he will be acquitted of any wrong doing and will become filthy rich from donations, books and t.V. appearances. Instead of trusting God to bring justice in this situation the Martins forced their own brand of justice on the entire country and It will blow up in their face. Hate always will hurt you in the end.
1. The Martin family wanted justice for their son.
2. The nation was already divided along racial lines. Has been for a long time.
The sheer stupidity of some of these bloggers is utterly amazing.
READ American history. The U.S. has been divided along racial lines since its inception.
Can I put in a swimming pool between those lines?
Zimmerman has Black, Hispanic, and White ancestry. What side of the racial dividing line is he on?
He is an American, how about we leave it at that.
You calling God stupid?? God plainly says, vengeance is mine, I will repay. If they really wanted justice for their son why not trust in the one who regards it all???? Hmmmmmmm???
Heyyyy....our nation isn't racist...we have all colors covered with Hussein Barak Obama...half white, half black, born at...oh well, never mind. Dont overlook Michelle is now FINALLY proud of America...all 57 states (fifty-seven of 'em) !! Just sayin'
Look out Trayvon......He's got a BIBLE!
This is America and he deserves a fair trial. I wouldn't contribute to his defense fund, but others are free to do so. I have absolutely no problems with it. Honestly, my only problem is the message being sent. Does any of you really think that you can get out of your car with a gun in your pocket, and follow someone because they look suspicious? Wrong message if you ask me. Guns don't kill people. Stupid people with guns do.
I have a Florida conceal carry permit. Yes, you can get out of your car with a gun in your pocket and follow someone because they look suspicious. Once you reveal your weapon, all bets are off. The documentation that is sent to you along with your new/renewed Florida conceal carry permit states "This is a permit to carry a firearm, not a permit to use it."
Watch out! I'm carrying a gun.......Now .....I'm not permitted to use it, but I have it.
Look out, Jimmy. He's got a broken milk carton!
Thanks for the info. Zimmerman didn't have that correct? He just had a gun. I heard he didn't have proper documentation to do what he did.
It is my understanding that Zimmerman had a conceal carry permit. If not, he would have been charged with illegal possession of a firearm. The only documentation needed to carry a weapon is the conceal carry permit itself. To use the weapon, the only guideline you have is your judgement. In our CCW training, they stated that you have to be 100% certain who you are shooting, because you are responsible for whatever comes out of the barrel of that gun (intentional or accidental) and that once you pull the trigger, your life will never be the same.
I've heard so many different accounts. I thought I heard that he needed special training for what he was doing. I don't own a gun - haven't found any reason to have one, and I live in the Detroit area. You know I was stopped by a cop when I was in college. Drunk as a skunk and I was heading home. He probably thought I had drugs on me. When he let me go, I went straight home. So I'm having problems with the circumstances of this case. No child should be killed this way, especially on his way home. Zimmerman should have at least identified himself and try to get more information. It could have been handled differently.
"I thought I heard that he needed special training for what he was doing." -- As Nissan stated, the only "special training" is what ever Florida requires for the CCP, which Zimmerman clearly had done.
I don't see the big deal about the donations, and I don't think the bond should be raised. This trial is going to cost a lot more money for Zimmerman. Plus, if it gets to a point where he cannot afford counsel, he will be forced to seek a public defender, and then we pay the bill.
His attorney is working for free. And some people consider it blood money.
the state of florida put thier foot in there own ass ,because of the over zelous prosecutor and the parents and jessie and uncle al didnt make as much as zimmerman off thier t-shirts and trademarks. i gave a hundred andnot ashamed one bit.....if i had 10,000 he could have it all,.......i am tired of the blacks pissing and moaning about everything they feel they have been wronged like when they wanted reparations for slavery,,we been paying them for years thru welfare and such.........................
Really? Where are my welfare dollars? I guess I need it so supplement my +$180K household income.
put your crack pipe down bro, your getting confused!! LOL!!
Nissan, byron is just upset because his application for welfare benefits got denied for numerous spelling and grammatical errors, but since education is not important to him and his ilk, he must blame someone other than himself.
Agreed, and if Zimmerman doesn't get persecuted the way Al and Jessie like they will call for a chimpout. TNB!
Unfortunately, Zim will be used as a scape goat for all injustice done to blacks by whites. Two wrong don't make a right. It seems this will never end just wait till the next unfortunate incident.
Thanks for letting us all know that no matter what evidence is brought forth during the trial, in your biased mind you've already reached the conclusion that Zimmerman is innocent. How openminded of you.
Where do I send my check for a FAIR TRIAL ? :D
ZIM deserves a FAIR TRIAL, and then ack-quit'al !!<< (spelled in syllables (sillybills) so liberals can understand ...
Barum & Bailey said there is a Sucker born every Second.....Total Morons!
Some simple facts:
It is not illegal to follow anyone, unless there is a restraining order on you.
It is not illegal to follow anyone, even if the 911 dispatcher tells you not to follow.
911 dispatchers don't make the law.
It is also not illegal to racially profile, and have negative opinions on certain groups. Everyone knows that black youth cause a lot of crime. It is common sense to be suspicious of them.
The encounter itself between Trayvon and Zimmerman should have never been violent. Why didn't that go down in a civilized way? Why the violence?
The MEDIA IS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING: they faked, and twisted so many things about this story: grossly outdated pictures, faked/doctored 911 recordings; Zimmerman went from "white" to "white latino", to "latino"...
And most crimes on blacks are committed by blacks, but you'll never see political rallies and protests about that.
...Dont confuze liberals with FACTS...LOL
Actually, there are rallies and protests concerning black on black crime. However, they are usually done on a local level and only make local news, if that.
Again, the reason this story is getting so much attention is because an armed adult shot and killed an unarmed minor. In this country, people get a bit upset when you mess with their kids. Rape a woman? YOu got enemies! Rape a child? You've got no hope!!! Got it?
Benjamin Franklin, it's not illegal to follow someone. But, it is absolutely legal to shoot dead somebody who is following you and you think (in your mind) that your life is threatened. Trayvon could have shot and killed Zimmerman according to the SYG rules.
Pete - If Travon shot and killed Zimmerman, he would have gone to prison. Trayvon had no permit to carry a firearm. They don't issue CCW permits to teenagers. Facts, Pete....facts.
There are a lot of stuff that you can do in this country that's no illegal. I guess the assumption is most of us have good sense. LOL
Nissan: You seem like a very rational person. Learn a lot from your comments.
It is all blood money anyways and he is going to choke on all of it. So no biggie. And it seems that he is already choking on it. Made him get caught in another lie.
People, it's time to come home from "FANTASY ISLAND" ("the plane! the plane!"). WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF TWO AMERICAS' ONE WHITE;THE OTHER BLACK.
If Trayvon was in the truck and got out to follow Zimmerman who--let's say--was standing around some houses, how many here would think that Trayvon would be out on bond right now if he had followed and shot Zimmerman. Can you say 3 million dollars bond? --Oh yeah, let's also assume that Trayvon had claimed Zimmerman was threatening him and he shot to kill according to the SYG rules.
Can you imagine the public outcry against Trayvon looking like a "stickup man" with his gansta hoodie on and him claiming that the White looking Zimmerman was trying to kill him and that he was fighting for his life? So hilarious!