• Florida judge rejects Zimmerman request to remove GPS monitor

    A Florida judge struck down George Zimmerman's plea to be removed from GPS monitoring while he remains free on bond awaiting trial in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

    By NBC News staff and wire services

    A Florida judge denied a motion Tuesday to allow George Zimmerman to remove his GPS monitoring device and allow him to travel or live outside Seminole County, Fla.


    Zimmerman, 29, has been confined to Seminole County under a $1 million bond since July, when a judge concluded that Zimmerman provided false information about his assets and was a flight risk.

    The defense said that due to the high-profile nature of his case, Zimmerman has been forced to live in hiding. If he were allowed to move, he could possibly live more openly, his attorney argued.

    “He shouldn’t have to be in hiding,” attorney Mark O’Mara said.

    O'Mara argued that the restrictions on Zimmerman made it difficult for him to meet with his defense team, expert witnesses and investigators.

    Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda opposed the motion, suggesting that Zimmerman had voluntarily brought himself to the media’s attention. He added, sarcastically, that the defendant had come to court to “sign autographs.”

    The next hearing has not been definitively scheduled, but it could be between early January and March.

    A former neighborhood watch volunteer, Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the killing of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin.

    He has pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defense under Florida's "stand your ground" law.

    Zimmerman, who is of Latino descent, is charged with shooting and killing Martin, 17, who was African-American, on Feb. 26 in Sanford. He faces trial June 10. The case became a rallying point for activists protesting what they said was the targeting of an unarmed black youth because of his race.

    Pool via Orlando Sentinel/AP

    George Zimmerman, left, sits with defense counsel at the Seminole County courthouse Tuesday in Sanford, Fla.

    Reuters contributed to this report.

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  • Zimmerman murder case: Judge denies request for gag order

    Pool / REUTERS

    George Zimmerman walks into court with attorney Mark O'Mara in Sanford, Fla. on Monday.

    By NBC News staff

    A Florida judge has denied a prosecutor’s request for a gag order to prevent George Zimmerman’s attorney from posting documents and other information online.

    Zimmerman, 29, a former neighborhood watch volunteer, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin, 17, inside a gated community in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26.

    Zimmerman claims he shot Martin in self-defense.

    In her two-page order Monday, Circuit Court Judge Debra Nelson wrote that she found no "overriding pattern of prejudicial commentary" and noted that a dozen media companies that had opposed the order were right when they argued that the state had failed to demonstrate prejudice.

    Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda had argued that Zimmerman’s lawyer, Mark O’Mara, has used a website set up to assist Zimmerman and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to publicly discuss the case, potentially tainting jurors.

    O’Mara denied the prosecutor's claims, saying Zimmerman has faced a “tidal wave” of inaccurate information.

    It was the second time de la Rionda had requested a gag order in the case.

    Zimmerman's case attracted national media interest and outrage from critics because police initially declined to arrest him. He is currently free on a $1 million bond and living in an undisclosed location near Sanford awaiting his trial, which is due to begin June 10.

    Zimmerman's father is white and his mother is Peruvian; Martin was black.

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  • Zimmerman update: Judge to rule on gag order Monday

    By NBC News wire services

    Pool / REUTERS

    George Zimmerman, the former neighborhood watch volunteer charged with second-degree murder, in a Sanford courtroom on Oct. 19.

    SANFORD, Fla. -- Prosecutors asked a Florida judge to impose a gag order in the case of a former neighborhood watch leader accused of fatally shooting Florida teenager Trayvon Martin on Friday.

    Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson will rule on the order Monday.

    US NEWCODE:

    Assistant state attorney Bernie de la Rionda said he believes George Zimmerman's defense attorney, Mark O'Mara, has been using a website, social media and news conferences to influence potential jurors. He claims the sites and social media created by the defense team are "groundbreaking" and have gone too far.

    O'Mara launched a website, as well as Twitter and Facebook accounts, in April, citing a need to counter fraudulent Internet entities that claimed to come from Zimmerman. O'Mara contends he doesn't discuss any specific evidence and has been compliant with all bar rules.

    O'Mara said in court Friday that a tiny percentage -- one half of 1 percent -- of visitors to his website came from Central Florida, making them eligible for the jury pool.

    Zimmerman attorneys maintain that everything they've said in public so far is "proper and well within our rights."

    Zimmerman  is accused of fatally shooting the 17-year-old Martin in February. Zimmerman, 29, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, saying he shot Martin in self-defense. He and his wife, Shellie, remain in hiding somewhere in Seminole County because of safety concerns. A trial date has been set for June 10.

    It is the second time de la Rionda has requested a gag order in the case, which grabbed the media spotlight and triggered public outrage because police in the central Florida town of Sanford initially declined to arrest Zimmerman.

    Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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  • Tough-minded judge assigned to take over George Zimmerman case

    By NBC News staff

    A Florida judge assigned Thursday to take over George Zimmerman's case is being described as ambitious and willing to hand down tough sentences.

    Florida 18th Judicial District Courts

    Judge Debra S. Nelson

    Circuit Judge Debra Nelson got the case after a Florida appeals court on Wednesday granted Zimmerman's request for a new judge.


    The Orlando Sentinel reported that Nelson recently sentenced a robber to 27 years in prison after he'd rejected 20 years in a plea deal.

    "You don't mess around with her," Lake Mary attorney Isadore Hyde Jr. told the Sentinel. "She's very nice, very nice. You can tell her what's on your mind on or off the bench, but she will send your a-- away."

    Zimmerman, the former neighborhood watch volunteer charged with second-degree murder in the Feb. 26 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, had said the judge presiding over his case has made disparaging remarks about him.

    The Fifth District Court of Appeal wrote in a decision that Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. should "enter an order of disqualification which requests the chief circuit judge to appoint a successor judge."

    The opinion said: "Although many of the allegations in Zimmerman's motion, standing alone, do not meet the legal sufficiency test, and while this is admittedly a close call, upon careful review we find that the allegations, taken together, meet the threshold test of legal sufficiency."

    The appeals court ruling was 2 to 1 in favor.

    The dissenting judge wrote: "Although the trial court's order clearly manifested an exceedingly strong belief by the trial judge that Zimmerman 'flouted' and 'tried to manipulate' the system, I do not believe the order 'crossed the line' so as to require the granting of this motion."

    Read the appeals court ruling (.PDF)

    Zimmerman said in the appeal that he feared Lester was biased against him and he wanted a new judge to handle his case.

    Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty to the killing of Martin 17, in a gated community in Sanford, Fla., saying he acted in self-defense. He remains free on bail.

    Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com

    Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, had argued that Lester should disqualify himself after he said the judge made disparaging remarks about Zimmerman's character and advocated for additional charges against him in setting his $1 million bond in July.

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  • Judge in George Zimmerman trial refuses to step down

     

    By Victoria Moll-Ramirez and Becky Bratu, NBC News

    The judge in the George Zimmerman case denied to recuse himself Wednesday, ruling that a defense motion asking him to step down was "legally insufficient."


    "The defendant's verified motion to disqualify judge is hereby denied as legally insufficient," Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester ruled.

    Zimmerman, the 28-year-old Florida man charged with second-degree murder in the killing of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, asked for a new judge in his case last month, accusing Lester of bias.

    Zimmerman alleged in the filing that Lester made "gratuitous" and "disparaging remarks" about him during a July 5 bond hearing and offered "a personal opinion" in the case.

    George Zimmerman's wife will not be at arraignment after not guilty plea

    "In doing so, the Court has created a reasonable fear in Mr. Zimmerman that this Court is biased against him and because of this prejudice he cannot receive a fair and impartial trial or hearing by this Court," the motion said.

    It is unclear whether Zimmerman will appeal the judge's decision.

    Reuters contributed to this report.

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  • Donations to Zimmerman's defense fund up by about $20,000, lawyers say

    George Zimmerman gets out of jail, but the judge in his case will now require advance notification before Zimmerman can leave the county. NBC's Jay Gray reports.

    By NBC's Jamie Novogrod

    Updated at 5:27 p.m. ET: SANFORD, Fla. --  A day after a Florida judge raised George Zimmerman's bond to $1 million dollars, donations to a legal defense fund in Zimmerman's name have gone up by more than a third, according to a statement released Friday by his legal defense team.

    Read statement here

    The statement was posted on www.gzlegalcase.com, the official website for Zimmerman's legal defense. The website is managed by the law firm of Mark O'Mara, Zimmerman's defense attorney.

    Zimmerman was released from the Seminole County Jail at 2:49 p.m ET Friday after posting $1 million bond.

    Zimmerman posts $1 million bond, released from Florida jail

    According to the statement, supporters donated approximately $20,000 since Thursday, when Seminole County Circuit Judge Kenneth R. Lester, Jr. released his bond ruling.

    The number marks -- in only one day's haul -- a sharp spike in donations making up a significant portion of earlier totals.

    According to the statement, Zimmerman's legal defense fund had previously received approximately $55,000 in donations during the two months prior to the ruling.

    Zimmerman, 28, is accused of second-degree murder in the Feb. 26th shooting death of Trayvon Martin, 17, inside a gated community here in Sanford.

    Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, pleaded not guilty and told police he acted in self-defense after Martin punched him and knocked his head against the pavement.

    Thursday, Seminole County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth R. Lester, Jr. ordered Zimmerman's bond raised to $1 million in light of revelations Zimmerman and his wife, Shellie Zimmerman, had misled the court about their finances during an April 20 bond hearing.

    Last month, Lester yanked Zimmerman's earlier bond of $150,000 and ordered him back to jail after prosecutors showed that the couple failed to disclose at least $130,000 in donations to a Pay Pal account.

    "Under any definition, the defendant has flaunted the system," Lester wrote in his ruling Thursday, noting that Zimmerman also failed to disclose a second passport.

    "Although there is no record of flight to avoid prosecution, this court finds that circumstances indicate that the defendant was preparing to flee to avoid prosecution, but such plans were thwarted," Lester added in his ruling.

    'Now is the time'
    Within hours of the bond ruling, Zimmerman's defense team countered with its own strongly-worded statement, declaring that Zimmerman was not a flight risk, and renewing calls for donations.

    "For those that think Mr. Zimmerman has been treated unfairly by the media, for those who feel Mr. Zimmerman has been falsely accused as a racist, for those who feel this case is an affront to their constitutional rights," the statement read, "now is the time to show your support."

    Zimmerman quietly left jail earlier this afternoon, dressed in the grey suit he has worn to court appearances. He answered no questions from media, and was whisked off in a large SUV.

    A bond document released by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office on Friday showed Zimmerman paid a bail bond company $100,000 in cash -- 10 percent of the $1 million dollar bond.

    View bond document here (pdf.)

    His parents, the document shows, put up their house as collateral.

    Speaking to reporters outside jail several minutes after Zimmerman's release, Don West, a lawyer for Zimmerman, said his client needed only to place $85,000 of the cash amount, because the bail bond company considered as credit a payment in April of $15,000 on an earlier bond. (Zimmerman paid $15,000 -- 10 percent -- to secure release on April 23 on his original bond of $150,000.) 

    Renewed efforts
    The defense team's renewed fundraising effort may demonstrate the mounting expense of a legal case in which each twist and turn produces new costs -- and ever more attention from the national media.

    O'Mara, Zimmerman's lead defense lawyer, told WESH-TV's Bob Kealing Thursday that Zimmerman's legal defense could cost up to $2 million.

    In an interview with NBC News last week -- before the renewed fundraising effort -- O'Mara said that Zimmerman's defense fund had about $211,000 dollars but the money was already being spent on hiring staff and other legal costs.

    According to O'Mara, Zimmerman's defense fund is managed by a third-party administrator who is a former IRS agent.  O'Mara established the fund after he shuttered Zimmerman's Pay Pal account.

    WESH is NBC's affiliate station in Orlando.

    Also Friday, Zimmerman's lawyers said a security team has established a "safe house" in Seminole County where Zimmerman will stay "until a more permanent secure location can be established."

    Among the conditions of Judge Lester's order, Zimmerman cannot leave Seminole County without authorization from the court, and is barred from drinking alcohol or holding a bank account.

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  • Police say Zimmerman had chances to defuse situation before shooting Martin

    By Bill Dedman, Investigative Reporter, NBC News

    Prosecutors released more documents, photos and audiovisual files on Tuesday afternoon from the case of neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, accused of murder in the second degree in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26.

    Here is a PDF file containing 29 pages of investigative reports.

    Follow Open Channel on Twitter and Facebook.

    Zimmerman told police that he saw Martin walking, followed him in his vehicle, passed him without identifying himself, called the police non-emergency line, lost sight of Martin as Martin ran toward his father's home, followed Martin on foot, and then was confronted by Martin, who attacked him when Zimmerman reached into his pocket for his cell phone to call 911.

    The report shows that Zimmerman passed a "lie detector" test, called a computer voice stress analyzer, showing no deception in his statements. Such tests are popular with police departments but usually cannot be admitted as evidence in court.

    After reviewing the evidence and interviewing Zimmerman, the police detective concluded that Zimmerman's actions were "inconsistent" with someone who was afraid of Martin, and that Zimmerman had several chances to end the encounter without violence.

    "Investigative findings show that Zimmerman admitted avoiding a confrontation with Martin while Zimmerman was observing Martin from his vehicle, because, as he told investigators, was afraid of Martin," Det. Chris Serino wrote. "Later in the encounter, Zimmerman exited his vehicle, in spite of his earlier admission to investigators that he was afraid of Martin, and followed Martin in an effort to maintain surveillance of him while Zimmerman awaited the arrival of law enforcement officers. His actions are inconsistent with those of a person who has stated he was in fear of another subject.

    Sanford Police Department

    A photo of the back of George Zimmerman's head, taken during a police interview after the shooting. Zimmerman said Martin attacked him and was astride him, beating him, when Zimmerman fired a single shot into Martin's torso.

    "Investigative findings show that George Michael Zimmerman had at least two opportunities to speak with Trayvon Benjamin Martin in order to defuse the circumstances surrounding their encounter. On at least two occasions, George Michael Zimmerman failed to identify himself as a concerned resident or a neighborhood watch member to Trayvon Benjamin Martin. Investigative findings show the physical dimension of Trayvon Benjamin Martin, and that of George Michael Zimmerman, coupled with the absence of any specialized training in hand to hand combat between either combatant, did not place George Michael Zimmerman in an extraordinary or exceptional disadvantage of apparent physical ability or defensive capacity.

    "Investigative findings show the physical injuries displayed by George Michael Zimmerman are marginally consistent with a life-threatening violent episode as described by him, during which neither a deadly weapon nor deadly force was deployed by Trayvon Martin."

    "The following sequence of events were obtained by admissions made by Zimmerman and cannot be corroborated by independent witnesses, nor can be refuted by independent witnesses:

    In a video clip from Feb. 27, 2012, released by his attorney, George Zimmerman takes investigators back to the scene of his shooting of Trayvon Martin. (George Zimmerman featured at 2:15)

    "While Zimmerman was returning to his vehicle, he states he was attacked by Martin, but only after Martin inquires to Zimmerman, 'What's your problem?'

    "Zimmerman, instead of attempting to inform Martin of the reason he was following him, stated to Martin, 'I don't have a problem.'

    "As Zimmerman responds to Martin, by his own admission, Zimmerman reaches into his pocket attempting to locate his cell phone.

    "As Zimmerman reaches for his cell phone, he stated Martin replies, 'You have one now,' and Martin punches Zimmerman in the face, knocking him to the ground.

    "Zimmerman stated that he was battered by Martin to the point of almost losing consciousness. He stated he ultimately had no choice but to shoot Martin in self-defense."

    The report continues:

    "The encounter between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin was ultimately avoidable by Zimmerman, if Zimmerman had remained in his vehicle and awaited the arrival of law enforcement, or conversely if he had identified himself to Martin as a concerned citizen and initiated dialog in an effort to dispel each party's concern. There is no indication that Trayvon Martin was involved in any criminal activity at the time of the encounter. Zimmerman, by his statements made to the call taker and recorded for review, and his statements made to investigators following the shooting death of Martin, made it clear that he had already reached a faulty conclusion as to Martin's purpose for being in the neighborhood."

    The investigator concludes with a recommendation that Zimmerman be charged with manslaughter. He was ultimately charged with a more serious charge, homicide in the second degree.

    Police also released a copy of Zimmerman's neighborhood watch handbook, including this warning: "Neighborhood Watch is NOT the Vigilante Police. Work with the police. Be our eyes and ears. Report suspicious activity."

    Sanford Police Department

    A page from George Zimmerman's neighborhood watch training manual.

     

  • Judge cites Internet age, orders release of more evidence in Trayvon Martin shooting

    By Kerry Sanders and Jamie Novogrod, NBC News

    SANFORD, Fla. -- It was once Florida’s tourism motto: “The rules are different here.”

    John E. Polk Correctional Facility / Reuters file

    George Zimmerman, shown in a handout booking photo.

    And that is now once again holding true as this state’s permissive public records laws are clarified by Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester.

    In the highly charged second-degree murder case against George Zimmerman, accused of shooting unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, evidence that would ordinarily remain sealed from public view in many other states will soon be revealed for any and all to see. Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty. Police in Sanford say he told officers on the night of the shooting that he acted in self-defense.

    Florida’s public records laws date to 1967, and while they’ve stood the test of time through a series of high-profile cases, including the trials of serial killer Ted Bundy, serial killer Danny Rolling and accused baby killer Casey Anthony – who was acquitted on all charges – Lester says 2012 is a different time.

    “The majority of case law … predates the rise of the blogosphere, where the Internet has made news and opinion instantly available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” he writes.   

    Kerry Sanders is an NBC News correspondent based in Florida; click here to follow him on Twitter. Jamie Novogrod is an NBC News producer; he's also on Twitter.

    “Until recently, a change of venue would be sufficient to ensure that an impartial jury could be selected because the local print and television media would primarily focus on local news.” 
     
    So what new evidence can the public expect to see? 

    • Zimmerman spoke to law enforcement and those conversations, interrogations and interviews were likely recorded.  While prosecutors claim they’re confessions, the defense says they are not.  Soon, you’ll be able to read transcripts, and perhaps listen, too, and draw your own conclusions. 
    • Statement by Witness No. 9. Sources tell NBC News Witness No. 9 made some highly inflammatory claims about Zimmerman. They’re the type of claims, say those familiar with the recording, that may be off-topic but are an assault on Zimmerman’s character. For Zimmerman’s defense team, this witness may offer little in the courtroom, but sources familiar with the statements say they could be devastating in the court of public opinion. 
    • Zimmerman was given a “stress test” by Sanford police the night of the shooting. Sources tell NBC News he passed the test. Prosecutors did not want the test released because they say the science is suspect. While it’s unclear whether the test would be acceptable in a court of law, it’s about to become public, again for any and all to judge relevant or worthless.
    • All the crime scene photos, other than those showing Martin’s body, will become public. That again will allow amateur sleuths to piece together theories of the crime and, as the judge notes, publish any and all opinions and conclusions on the Internet.

    Defense Attorney Mark O’Mara said at a recent hearing the problem with making all of these records public is “we can’t control what the media chooses to publish.”

    Related story

    Court docs: Trayvon Martin shooting 'ultimately avoidable by Zimmerman'

    The lawmakers who long ago established Florida’s public records laws argued, in part, that the purpose of opening all files was to let anyone choose what they find important. Transparency, they argued, also holds everyone accountable, including the prosecutor, who by nature of the job has an established authority and presumed unassailable integrity.

    But in an evolving Internet-driven world, Special Prosecutor Angela Corey believes it’s time for change. She says she’s going to take the public records debate to the Florida Legislature in 2013. She says she wants to change the laws established 45 years ago because she says lawmakers then could not have predicted the impact of the Internet today on our justice system.

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  • Florida debates 'Stand Your Ground' law

    By Kerry Sanders , NBC News correspondent
    LONGWOOD, Fla. – Should Florida amend or eliminate its controversial "Stand Your Ground" law?

    Nineteen members of a state commission are meeting Tuesday to discuss the issue – just a short distance from where 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by 28-year-old George Zimmerman.

    It's believed Zimmerman’s defense attorney will rely of Florida’s controversial law to prove he did no wrong that February evening in Sanford.

    Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sabrina Fulton, is among those arguing Florida’s law should be changed. But she's also made it a point to try to calm proponents of the Second Amendment, which protects the right of people to keep and bear arms, who feel any change to the law is an attack on their rights.

    Shellie Zimmerman, wife of Trayvon Martin killer, arrested on perjury charge

    "I grew up with a weapon in my house. My dad was a police officer. I have nothing against guns,” Fulton said on Tuesday.

    She was among a group who presented the state commission with more than 300,000 signatures demanding the law be repealed.

    "I have nothing against the law,” she said.  “It's how it's applied."

    The Florida law was passed in 2005 and was signed into law by then-Gov. Jeb Bush. The law came into being in the wake of Hurricane Ivan – partly because of the case of James Workman.

    Workman, a 77-year-old retiree at the time, and his wife, Kathryn, had survived Hurricane Ivan, but their house in Pensacola was badly damaged, so they were staying in a trailer nearby. In the middle of the night, a FEMA worker from North Carolina, Rodney Cox, mysteriously appeared in their RV. Workman shot and killed the intruder.

    After months in legal limbo, no charges were filed against Workman. Lawmakers seized on his case as they pressed for the country’s first Stand Your Ground law.

    See more msnbc.com coverage of the Trayvon Martin case

    Workman, now 84, recently spoke to NBC News from his home in Pensacola and defended the controversial law.

    "The law may not be perfect; I’m not saying it’s perfect.  But it’s a whole lot better than not having a law,” said Workman. "You got to have some way of protecting yourself.  I mean, I just – I don’t see anything wrong with that, at all."

    Key events in the Trayvon Martin case

    The commission will not affect a change to the law, but it plans to offer the results of its six statewide meetings to Florida Gov. Rick Scott and the state Legislature.

    If the law were to be amended or revoked, it would not be until 2013, when the Legislature returns for its lawmaking session.

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  • Zimmerman's not guilty plea accepted in Martin case arraignment

    ORLANDO SENTINEL / POOL

    George Zimmerman is seen during his bond hearing last month in Sanford, Florida.

    By NBC's Jamie Novogrod and NBCMiami.com's Brian Hamacher

    George Zimmerman’s not-guilty plea on a second-degree murder charge in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin was accepted Tuesday afternoon at his Sanford, Fla., court arraignment, which the defendant did not attend.


    Judge Kenneth R. Lester set a date for a so-called docket sounding 8:30 a.m., Aug. 8. That’s when a trial date will be set unless Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark  O'Mara, asks for a continuance.

    Also on Tuesday, O'Mara in two filings waived Zimmerman's right to a speedy trial and said he needed more time to prepare his defense for trial. Zimmerman otherwise is guaranteed under Florida law the right to a trial within 175 days of his arrest.

    Zimmerman remains free after posting $150,000 bond.

    O'Mara, who also did not attend Tuesday's arraignment, earlier filed a written plea of not guilty and waived Zimmerman's appearance at the arraignment. Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda also did not appear in court Tuesday.

    Lester addressed Zimmerman's case moments after taking the bench.

    It was the first order of business on a busy day in Lester's court as 170 defendants were answering charges Tuesday afternoon.

    Read the original story at NBCMiami.com

    According to police, Zimmerman, 28, has said he was acting in self-defense in the Feb. 26 shooting of Martin, 17, in a Sanford gated community.

    Authorities didn't charge Zimmerman in the shooting of the Miami Gardens teen for more than six weeks, sparking national protests led by Martin's parents and civil rights groups.

    Zimmerman is at an undisclosed location but is being monitored by authorities with a GPS device. He has surrendered his passport and must observe a 7 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew under the terms of his release.

    George Zimmerman's attorney defends move as a counter to fake sites. WESH's Cara Moore reports.

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  • After Zimmerman's website raises more than $200,000, prosecution asks judge to raise bond

    George 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.

    By Becky Bratu, msnbc.com

    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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  • Florida shooter Zimmerman needs protection while out on bail, lawyer says

    /

    George Zimmerman, center, speaks with his attorney Mark O'Mara, right, during a bond hearing in front of a judge at the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford, Florida, April 20. Zimmerman has pleaded not-guilt to second-degree murder in the February shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

    By Kari Huus, msnbc.com

    The defense attorney representing George Zimmerman, the Florida man charged with second degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, said his client was wearing a bulletproof vest when released on bail Monday morning, due to continued threats to his client in the emotionally charged case, WESH-TV reported Tuesday.


    Kari Huus


    Follow Kari Huus on Twitter and Facebook.


    Mark O'Mara also said he was considering seeking a taxpayer-funded bodyguard for Zimmerman if the threats continue, according to the report.

    "The way this case has been portrayed, he's guilty until proven innocent, and people are so inflamed against him, he has to be protected, and that's a shame," O'Mara said, speaking to WESH, an NBC-affiliated station in Orlando, Fla.

    Zimmerman pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old who was walking to his father’s fiancee's home in a gated community in Sanford, Fla.  Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain, said he acted in self-defense in the Feb. 26 encounter.

    Zimmerman was not charged for more than six weeks, sparking nationwide protests and a debate about race and equity in the justice system. Zimmerman, 28, is white and Hispanic; Martin was black.

    An attorney representing the Martins also spoke to WESH to discourage any vigilantism against Zimmerman.

    "They don't condone it. They don't want it," said Martin family attorney Natalie Jackson. "If that's what (others) are doing, please stop."

    Also on Tuesday, O’Mara blasted a Twitter account pretending to be Zimmerman's for trying to incite anger against his client.

    One fake tweet suggested Zimmerman was seeking permission to carry a gun, which was false, O'Mara said. "That's disgusting and should be prosecuted," he told WESH.

    Twitter policies do allow parody accounts, but users are told to make it clear that they are not the real person, which O'Mara says was not done in this case.

    "It's somebody out there saying, 'Let’s drum up more passion against George and here's how I'll do it'," O’Mara said.

    Zimmerman's arraignment is on May 8. He waived his right to be present.

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