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Prosecutors To Argue George Zimmerman "Profiled" And "Confronted" Trayvon Martin
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 13, 2012
Modified Apr 13, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 13, 2012
Modified Apr 13, 2012
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The legal case against George Zimmerman, the former neighborhood watch captain who has been charged with second degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, became a bit clearer with the release of new court documents yesterday. Prosecutors charge that Zimmerman "profiled" Martin on the night of Feb. 26, falsely assumed he was a "criminal," disregarded 911 operators pleas to stay away from him, and instead followed and eventually "confronted" him. “Zimmerman felt Martin did not belong in the gated community...During the recorded call, Zimmerman made reference to people he felt had committed and gotten away with break-ins in his neighborhood," the documents read.
While prosecutors plan their case, Zimmerman's new lawyer Mark O'Mara is hoping media attention dies down for his client—in court yesterday, he successfully requested that many records with the case be temporarily sealed, to take the spotlight off Zimmerman. "He's going to try the case in court, not in the press, and I admire that," said Jeff Ashton, who retired last year as the lead homicide prosecutor for the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office. "I don't expect to see Mark out there giving his opinion [on TV] as much as some other attorneys have in past, high-profile criminal cases."
After court, O'Mara said he hadn't requrested bail for Zimmerman yet because he didn't know where he could safely live right now. He added that Zimmerman was "frightened." In an interview with ABC, a law enforcement source said that Zimmerman "wept quite a bit" during his first night in a jail cell. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Zimmerman is preparing himself to stay in that cell for an extended period—he has already spent $79.84 at the commissary on underwear, candy, snacks, soap and puzzle books.
There may be another snag in the trial coming soon: Circuit Judge Jessica Recksiedler revealed in a last-minute hearing today that her husband works for the law firm of Mark NeJame, who's been hired to act as a CNN analyst for this case. O'Mara indicated he may ask her to step down: “I’m very very concerned that this is going to be problematic moving forward," he said after the hearing. Zimmerman is scheduled to have a bond hearing next Friday; he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison—and a maximum of life—if convicted.
Tagged
fatal shooting
florida
george zimmerman
trayvon martin
trial
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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