A lawyer for a neighborhood watch volunteer charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager is requesting bond for his client in a Florida courtroom Friday morning.
George Zimmerman, 28, was charged on April 11 in the February death of Trayvon Martin, after the case sparked a heated, national debate over racial profiling and saw thousands of protesters demand Zimmerman’s arrest. Martin’s family contends Zimmerman racially profiled their son, who was walking back from a convenience store in Sanford, Florida.
Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer who is Hispanic, maintains he acted in self-defense. His family says he did not profile Martin.
At 9 a.m. ET, attorney Mark O’Mara began the process of filing a bond motion with the case’s judge, Kenneth Lester Jr., in a Sanford courtroom. Among other factors, Lester will examine the seriousness of the crime, Zimmerman’s ties to the community, his conduct and whether he poses a danger or flight risk. The defense is expected to argue Zimmerman is not a flight risk or danger to the community.
Special prosecutor Angela Corey has the burden of showing why bond should not be set or if it should be high.
Refresh this page for updates on the bond hearing:
[Updated at 11:15 a.m. ET] The hearing is over. Zimmerman stood up and shook hands with his attorney before sitting down again to wait to be taken from the courtroom.
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article courtesy of CNN.com
