Former neighborhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman, charged will murder in the killing of teenager Trayvon Martin, surrendered to police on Sunday. Zimmerman was placed in a private cell central Florida’s jail just 48 hours after his bond was revoked. Judge Kenneth Lester revoked Zimmerman’s bond on Friday, saying that the defendant and his wife did not answer truthfully when asked about their finances in court in April. They were attempting to receive a lower bond from the judge.
About 40 minutes before the 2:30pm Sunday deadline, the Seminole County Jail had taken Zimmerman and listed him as an inmate. The website has shown that he was listed without possible bail with $500 in his jail account.
Seminole County Sheriff Donald Eslinger says that Zimmerman had turned himself in to two sheriff’s office employees around 1:25 pm, and was driven there. Zimmerman pulled up in a white minivan to the jailhouse. As he walked in, he ignored all questions and comments from reporters. Wearing blue jeans, sneaker, and a button-down shirt, Zimmerman was taken into custody.
Eslinger says that “He is quiet and cooperative” at a news conference after Zimmerman’s surrender. Things will be quiet for a while as Zimmerman’s defense team will not file a motion for bond. Zimmerman’s attorneys posted on their website – gzlegalcase.com – “A hearing will not be scheduled for a couple of weeks, and we file a motion well in advance of the hearing.” This goes against the plan to immediately hold a hearing on Zimmerman’s bond after he was ordered back to jail on Friday after the judge felt the confessed shooter of Trayvon Martin misled the court about his family’s financial situation. Zimmerman has said that it was self-defense, in compliance with Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” Law.
During his first bond hearing, Zimmerman had failed to inform the court that a website he created brought in over $200,000 worth of donations. The money was to be used for his legal defense and personal expenses. His defense team takes up for his actions and says, “We feel the failure to disclose these funds was caused by fear, mistrust, and confusion.” However his legal team recognizes that their client waited 5 days after the initial hearing to notify the courts of these funds. Calls between Zimmerman and his wife confirms that he lied in court about his financial situation.
Zimmerman’s defense team says that this episode has impaired his credibility in which “he will have to work to repair.” The website has thus been taken down. Instead, his defense team has created an unprecedented trio of sites to “sway” the public’s opinion of Zimmerman, who has been charged with murder in the second-degree. Since then, the more properly managed site has received over $37,000 bringing his total donation amount to about $240,000.
Reportedly, Zimmerman has woke up in a 9-foot by 7-foot isolation cell in Seminole County Jail. He was in shackles and wore a bullet-proof vest for his safety.
Three questions: 1) Since Zimmerman’s credibility has now decreased, why isn’t this case even closer to being solved? 2) What more do we need to know? And 3) Who keeps giving this fool money?! Stop it!
If you can help me out with these questions, leave comments below!
Dr. O
