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Trayvon Martin's parents turn down invitation to meet with son's killer George Zimmerman
Request is 'self-serving,' attorney Benjamin Crump says
Comments (23)

By Matthew Lysiak In Sanford, Fla. AND Helen Kennedy / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Thursday, April 19, 2012, 4:59 PM
Updated: Friday, April 20, 2012, 2:00 AM


Trayvon Martin's parents have turned down an invitation to meet with their son’s killer, their lawyer said Thursday.

The request from George Zimmerman’s camp a day before his bond hearing is “self-serving,” attorney Benjamin Crump said.

“He had a Web page — never apologized there. Had the voicemails we’ve heard — never apologized then,” Crump said at a news conference. “So, we feel that you all can conclude for yourselves what motivations there are.”



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/cri...n-free-friday-article-1.1064429#ixzz1sa2bzg00
 
Florida judge to decide on bail for Trayvon Martin's killer
By Barbara Liston

SANFORD, Florida | Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:13am EDT

SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - A Florida judge will decide on Friday whether to release murder suspect George Zimmerman on bail pending his trial for the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.

Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. took over the racially charged case on Wednesday after another judge recused herself over a potential conflict of interest. He was to preside over a pre-trial detention hearing beginning at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT), as he takes up a case that has riveted the United States.




http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...0?feedType=RSS
 
Trayvon Martin: Parents attend town hall meeting in Tampa

By Jason Lanning / Dalia Dangerfield / Anna Tataris, Team Coverage
Last Updated: Friday, April 20, 2012 @ 05:46AM

TAMPA --
The parents of Trayvon Martin came to the Bay area on Wednesday to take part in a town hall meeting focused on the controversial 'Stand Your Ground Law'.

Martin's parents were in Tampa for a town hall meeting held by the National Bar Association at the historic Beulah Baptist Church near downtown. The noon meeting was billed as 'Stand Your Ground for Justice'.

Hundreds attended the discussion, pushing for the repeal of the controversial Stand Your Ground Law and taking advantage of the chance to see Martin's parents in person.


http://www.baynews9.com/content/news...tin_town_.html
 
HLN: Zimmerman's Wife Speaks at Hearing
On Friday, Shellie Zimmerman, in her first public comments since the February 26 shooting in Sanford, Florida, told the court that she is a nursing student four weeks from graduation. She testified that she had no income and was not of the financial means to provide bond in the case.
When asked if she had talked about securing money for Zimmerman's bond she said: "We have discussed that, trying to pull together members of the family to try to scrape up anything that we can." When asked if he was a danger to the community, Shellie Zimmerman said: "No, I do not," she said. "There's no concern whatsoever."
But state prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda brought up two altercations in George Zimmerman’s past, including one arrest. "Yes, he has informed me of those charges," Shellie Zimmerman said. Later, she added, "He's not a violent person, nor is he a threat to the community."

Investigator Gilbreath Put on Stand
Mark O'Mara, questioned an investigator for the special prosecutor, sentence by sentence, about a probable cause affidavit the investigator signed outlining certain facts in the case.
Investigator Dale Gilbreath testified that he does not know whether Martin or Zimmerman threw the first punch and that there is no evidence to disprove Zimmerman's contention he was walking back to his vehicle when confronted by Martin. The affidavit says "Zimmerman confronted Martin and a struggle ensued."
But Gilbreath also said Zimmerman's claim that Martin was slamming his head against the sidewalk just before he shot the teenager was "not consistent with the evidence we found." He gave no details.

Experts say O'Mara Made Smart Move to Question Investigator
"I thought it was a really great thing to do," said Tom Mesereau, a Los Angeles attorney whose clients have included singer Michael Jackson and actor Robert Blake. "He used the hearing to get information that can only help his defense. What was supposed to be strictly a hearing for bail, he used it as a discovery device, and was able to nail the investigator into making very, very pointed statements about the investigation and about what evidence they have."
The questioning exposed some of the weaknesses in the state's case, said Kendall Coffey, a former U.S. Attorney in Miami who is now in private practice.
"There are many miles left in this case but I think O'Mara helped the defense by eliciting those responses," Coffey said. "He is going to look for the chance to cross-examine that same investigator and ask him the same questions. If the investigator changes his story, he is going to lose credibility with the jury."
 
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY-a4QgDaJg"]George Zimmerman At Bond Hearing Apologizes To The Martin Family - YouTube[/ame]

Transcripts:

CNN Transcript: Bail Hearing Part One
CNN Transcript: Bail Hearing Part Two
CNN Transcript: Bail Hearing Part Three

CNN's Kyra Phillips: George Zimmerman will not walk free today, but the judge did set $150,000 bond right there within his bond hearing, electronic monitoring with GPS, a curfew, and he will have to check in with authorities every three days with regard to his location.
 
Defense worried about Zimmerman's safety in Florida

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...ety/54456272/1

..........Defense attorneys for other high-profile clients who awaited trial on bail had advice for how to protect the man whose shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin sparked nationwide protests: Get him out of Florida, keep him from going out in public and never leave him alone.

"He clearly puts himself in jeopardy unless he takes precautions," said New York attorney Barry Slotnick, who represented subway shooter Bernhard Goetz in the 1980s.
------

But until then, Zimmerman's attorneys should expect intense interest in where Zimmerman is, said Kendall Coffey, a former U.S. Attorney in Miami who is now in private practice.

"I think they have to be prepared for a manhunt by not only members of the media but curious onlookers," Coffey said. "The whereabouts of George Zimmerman will be one of the most intriguing curiosities of the legal world in the coming weeks."

Post-bail security costs don't come cheap, either, and it could be extremely difficult for Zimmerman to pay for it. His attorney is considering having him declared indigent, and his wife has no income because she is in nursing school and does not work.

More at link.....
 
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2012/0421/George-Zimmerman-Social-justice-activist-with-a-gun
By Patrik Jonsson, Staff writer / April 21, 2012
George Zimmerman, charged with the murder of teenager Trayvon Martin, stood up for the downtrodden and wanted to become a magistrate judge to help society. How does this square with depictions of him as a racist vigilante?
At a bond hearing Friday, Zimmerman’s Hispanic mother, Gladys Zimmerman, disagreed with prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda’s suggestion that a 2005 arrest for assaulting a police officer showed a violent streak in the married 28-year-old, who stands accused by the state of second degree murder
Instead, she said it fit his personality in another way: His zeal to intervene to protect a friend who was being pushed up against a wall by men who turned out to be two plain-clothes law enforcement officers..........
Click to expand...
According to his mother, Zimmerman, who was once beaten up in high school, cares about the downtrodden and forgotten, going so far as to rally Sanford residents in defense of a homeless man who was beaten, eventually getting a commendation from the city’s mayor for his work on behalf of social justice.
Click to expand...
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/cops-son-accused-of-beating-man-walks-out-of-jail/nKJgK/
Monday, Jan. 3, 2011
Cop's Son Accused Of Beating Man Walks Out Of Jail
 
Zimmerman released on bond:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzKTiVy00_4"]George Zimmerman Released from Jail on $150K Bond - YouTube[/ame]


Zimmerman Released from Jail on Bond
Zimmerman left the John E. Polk Correctional Facility (JEPCF) at the Seminole County Sheriff's Office accompanied by a man ABC News identified as his possible bail bondsman. The 28-year-old former neighborhood watch volunteer posted bond and was fitted with an electronic monitoring device prior to release, according to a statement from the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. He and the man accompanying him were seen getting into white BMW sport utility vehicle.
The GPS device, which can give immediate identification of an offender's whereabouts anywhere in the US, at any given time, according to a statement from the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, a possible hint that the defense's request that he be allowed to wait out the trial out of Florida may have been granted.
Zimmerman, who has been charged with second degree murder, was wearing a brown jacket and jeans, and seemed to be carrying his personal items in a brown paper bag, as he walked to a waiting car.
 
Chief Bill Lee Resigns from Sanford Police Dept
mbattled Sanford Police Department Chief Bill Lee Jr. will resign his position today, a month after he stepped down temporarily amid the growing Trayvon Martin shooting controversy.
Commissioner Patty Mahany said she received a call from City Manager Norton Bonaparte just after 11 a.m., informing her that Lee has submitted his resignation.
"This is absolutely political," said Mahany, a Lee supporter. "It's solely political…The city manager felt he had no choice. That there could be no healing with Lee as the police chief."

Officials Have to OK Chief Lee's Resignation
Lee had temporarily stepped down to help restore calm to the community. Capt. Darren Scott has been acting as police chief since then. City commissioners — who had previously given Lee a "no confidence" vote — were to take a vote on Lee's resignation Monday afternoon.
"The city has experienced great turmoil in the past two months and we are hoping to stabilize the department and continue with this time of healing," said City Manager Norton Bonaparte.
 
Sanford Commission Denies Police Chief's Resignation
Two of the commissioners that voted against the agreement, Commissioner Patty Mahany and Commissioner Randy Jones, spoke highly of Lee in a heated debate.
Mahany said she wouldn't accept the agreement because it was "hastily put together" and said she wasn't notified of the special meeting until 11:30 a.m. Monday. Mahany said she was devastated by the treatment of Lee, calling him one of "the finest police officers" in the community.
"This is a man who is a medal of valor winner," Mahany said. "I am physically sick over these proceedings and treatment of Chief Lee. What did the chief do wrong?"
Mahany said that both Lee and other commissioners are also enduring allegations of being racists.
"He’s paying for the sins of past police chiefs," Mahany said. "We are a great city with a great police department. We can't do this to a 52-year-old man with 30 years law enforcement experience with a family with little children. We can't do it."

Norm Wolfinger Not Seeking Re-Election Bid
After 27 years in office, Norm Wolfinger announced today through his office that he does not plan to seek another term as Seminole-Brevard State Attorney.
"It has been an honor to hold this post, and I thank the people of Brevard and Seminole counties for the privilege they have granted me," he said in a statement.
Wolfinger made the decision early in his current term, his office said. He wants to spend more time with his family, spokeswoman Lynne Bumpus-Hooper said.
Wolfinger, 66, said he leaves behind "a tremendous team" of lawyers, "one of the most experienced staffs in the state, and they are extremely dedicated to justice."
 
L.A. community groups rally to support Trayvon Martin
Community members and celebrities gathered at a Jefferson Park church Thursday to rally against racial profiling and to support slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin.

The rally, held at West Angeles Church of God in Christ, was attended by family members of 17-year-old Trayvon, who was shot and killed by neighborhood watch commander George Zimmerman in February while walking home form a convenience store.

"I believe in God," Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, said at the rally, according to KTLA-TV. "I believe that justice will be served."

The Rev. Jesse Jackson and comedian Paul Rodriguez also attended.
More...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tanya-young-williams/trayvon-martin-rally-la_b_1458052.html
Red Carpet Treatment for Martin Family As Celebrities, Activists and Supporters Pack Prestigious L.A. Church
Los Angeles plays host to entertainment's biggest award shows; President Obama stops by the city to raise millions of dollars at celebrity homes; the rich, the famous and the want-to-be famous understand that L.A. is the place to be if you want to be seen. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that the handlers of the biggest story to capture the country's attention in 2012 would choose Los Angeles as the backdrop for their big announcement.
More...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/george-zimmerman-judge-donations-received/story?id=16228564
Trayvon Martin Shooting: George Zimmerman Judge Looks at Donations, Bail Amount
Prosecutors in the Trayvon Martin shooting case asked a Florida judge today to increase the bail amount for George Zimmerman after news that the 17-year-old's killer had raised more than $200,000 through a Paypal account on his website.

Circuit Court judge Kenneth Lester Jr said he wanted to scrutinize the account to learn more about who opened the site, who managed it and exactly how much money it contained.

More... Video included...

http://www.wtsp.com/news/topstories...e-wants-more-info-on-Zimmermans-200k-surprise
Trayvon Martin Shooting: Judge wants more info on George Zimmerman's $200,000 surprise
A judge says he needs to know more about mystery money just revealed in the case against George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin's accused killer.
At a bond hearing last week, Zimmerman didn't tell a judge about a huge amount of money he had raised through online donations.

Zimmerman's lawyer, Mark O'Mara, said his client just revealed to him the existence of a stockpile that once hit $200,000.
More...

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/27/2770968/zimmerman-attorney-to-tell-judge.html
Judge: Zimmerman to remain free on bond
George Zimmerman remained free on bond Friday, after a judge said he did not want to “make a snap decision” about raising the bond in light of new information that Zimmerman has raised more than $200,000 through donations from the public to a website.
Prosecutors asked Seminole Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester to increase Zimmerman’s bond from the current $150,000, though they did not suggest a new amount.
Zimmerman, charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin, was released on bond after a hearing last week in which his family said they didn’t have much money to help him with bail.
More...

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...tor-angela-corey-media-attorneys-trial-lawyer
Questions remain about $200,000 in Zimmerman's PayPal accounts
A judge in the George Zimmerman case said this morning he wants more information about the $200,000 donors sent to the defendant's PayPal accounts.
Meanwhile, an attorney for the family of slain teen Trayvon Martin expressed outrage about Zimmerman's money, saying the court should revoke his bond immediately. That didn't happen at today's hearing in Sanford.
More... Video included...

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/lawyer-disclose-200k-george-zimmerman-hearing-disc/nMj4f/
Judge wants to know more about Zimmerman finances in Trayvon Martin case

Prosecutors want George Zimmerman to pay a higher bond now that his defense has suddenly announced a wave of money Zimmerman raised through private donors who want to help defend him.
Zimmerman is accused of second-degree murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who was unarmed at the time.
More... Video included...
 
http://www.clickorlando.com/news/Ga...ing/-/1637132/12128998/-/c5kv10z/-/index.html
Gag order, finances discussed at George Zimmerman hearing
A judge has refused the prosecution's request and will not issue a gag order on those involved in the murder trial of George Zimmerman, who's accused of murder in the death of Trayvon Martin.
Saying he wouldn't entertain the state's request at this time, Florida Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester said Friday he would not stop Zimmerman's attorneys from talking to the media if they chose.
"Attorneys, specifically the defense counsel, are still commenting about the facts of the case," state prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda said.
More... Video included...

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/George...00000-Through-Website-Attorney-149210925.html
George Zimmerman Received $200,000 Through Website: Attorney
The lawyer for George Zimmerman says a website set up to raise money for his legal defense in the Trayvon Martin shooting has raised more than $200,000.
Attorney Mark O'Mara disclosed the money at a hearing Friday morning in Seminole County court.
The hearing had been initially scheduled to deal with media organizations asking the judge to unseal documents in the case. Judge Kenneth Lester said he would approach sealing the Zimmerman documents on a case-by-case basis.
More... Video included...


http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/25/us-usa-florida-shooting-zimmerman-idUSBRE83O18H20120425
George Zimmerman: Prelude to a shooting
The first time the dog ran free and cornered Shellie in their gated community in Sanford, Florida, George called the owner to complain. The second time, Big Boi frightened his mother-in-law's dog. Zimmerman called Seminole County Animal Services and bought pepper spray. The third time he saw the dog on the loose, he called again. An officer came to the house, county records show.
"Don't use pepper spray," he told the Zimmermans, according to a friend. "It'll take two or three seconds to take effect, but a quarter second for the dog to jump you," he said.
"Get a gun."
More...
 
Saturday April 28, 2012

Town hall meeting held on Trayvon Martin shooting
Miami Herald — Associated Press

Civil rights advocates will discuss the shooting death of Trayvon Martin and its impact on the Sanford community. A town hall meeting will be held Saturday evening at a church in Sanford ...

The meeting is organized by the Florida Civil Rights Association. Civil rights attorneys, former state prosecutors and religious leaders will discuss race and community trust concerns with the Sanford Police Department, among others.

more...
 
George's Original Bank and Paypal Accounts, versus Attorney O'Mara's statement that George was indigent

MSNBC Manuscript, April 10, 2012
UHRIG: Mr. Sonner was accompanied to the bank by Mr. Zimmerman`s
father, for the purpose of setting up a Web site by which people might make
donations. We went to great lengths to make sure the Web site was set up in way to which the PayPal account paid directly to an account on which for his father has the control on the signature rights.

Jane Velez-Mitchell Transcript, April 10,2012
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, the complaints from these lawyers today. They said this Web site that you`re looking at here, , was set up by George Zimmerman in sort of a rogue fashion. He launched it on his own with PayPal so he could get money from his supporters, and this is one of the reasons these attorneys are stepping down. They say they were actually working to set up another Web site. So it would seem that these two lawyers and George Zimmerman are working at cross purposes.

*snip*

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hey, Frank, can I jump in for a second?

TAAFFE: Yes?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We talked a lot about this Web site. The point is that these attorneys were saying they were going in the process of setting up a different Web site when all of a sudden this --

TAAFFE: Right. It was called Zimmerman Defense Fund. That`s what Hal Uhrig and the other one set up. It was called Zimmerman Defense Fund. Correct.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Right. I got that, but why? Why is he going on his own path creating a different Web site at the same time as his attorneys were setting up another one?

TAAFFE: I can`t really answer that other than the fact that he wanted me to share it with the public of this Web site, where he could have direct control.

Anderson Cooper Transcript, April 10, 2012
COOPER: So, Mr. Uhrig, were you ever officially his attorneys? Had he signed a document saying you were his attorneys? Had you met with family members? His family members?

UHRIG: We had been in communication with family members. In fact, the father went to the bank with Mr. Sonner to set up the bank account which the Web site we put up for his benefit was going to take so that we didn't touch the money. The money would go to a bank account with only his father's name on it. His father was communicative with us. He was communicative with us.

*snip*

SONNER: I'm not going to make any comments as to whether -- that's just speculation of what he's going through because of everything he's endured at this point.

But the primary thing was that all of a sudden, things -- like I think as Hal said, they went dark. He wasn't contacting me anymore. He wasn't calling by phone. He wasn't sending e-mails. He wasn't sending text messages. On Saturday, I talked with him. There was some little thing we had to resolve and everything seemed fine on Saturday.

Then something happened on Sunday and then, of course, we learned that there was a Web site that was set up, which was fine that he set it up. I had lined up a Web site designer to do it and we'd set up a bank account because I didn't think he was going to be able to do it. But it was really better that he was able to do that himself. It keeps me from being involved with his money. And that's something lawyers don't want to do being involved with their -- is have their hands too much in their clients' money.

~~~~~~~~~~~

My Fox 8, April 12, 2012

O’Mara said Zimmerman’s family contacted him after referrals from other lawyers. He told reporters Thursday he has taken no fees from his client. "I think he’s indigent for costs. He doesn’t have any money,” he said, adding there is a process that allows the state to help defray such costs.


CNN Transcript, April 12, Day of Zimmerman's First Court Appearance

Brooke BALDWIN: As you talk about both of these attorneys, you know, look, it can't be cheap to hire them and I know that as Mark O'Mara has said, George Zimmerman doesn't have a lot of money and referred to him as indigent.

And said to reporters not too long ago, he is not going to be charging him a fee. So then who does get charged for the defense? How does that work?

NEJAME: Well, really, it is Mark donating his services pro bono, and I suspect many people on the Trayvon team who are doing that as well. Lawyers who care, our passion, a lot of lawyers get a hit, a bad press and bad hit and some have well deserved, but there are many lawyers who are out there truly dedicating themselves to causes and cases.
 
Fight over public's right to know intensifies as lawyers disagree about record law

The special prosecutor's office on Friday refused to make that evidence public -- even though an attorney fighting for the public's access insists Friday was when Florida law required Corey to share the evidence with the millions of people following the case.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/La...ence/-/1637132/12190668/-/g2ilu2/-/index.html
 
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