Defendant in heated race case pleads not guilty
Source: Agencies |
April 14, 2012, Saturday
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A handcuffed George Zimmerman, charged with killing unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, appeared in court for the first time on Thursday and his lawyer said a not guilty plea was entered on his "frightened" client's behalf.
The neighborhood watch volunteer's lawyer, Mark O'Mara, also said he wanted Zimmerman to be released on bond, but not until he could secure a safe place for him to stay while he faces murder charges in the February 26 killing of 17-year-old Martin in a quiet gated community in the central Florida.
Zimmerman, hands shackled, head shaved and wearing a close-clipped goatee, addressed a judge via teleconference from jail. He said "Yes sir" twice during the five-minute hearing in a small jailhouse courtroom.
Judge Mark Herr set formal arraignment for May 29 and sealed some of the case file.
"It was a very standard procedure. A not guilty plea was entered. We have an arraignment set for the 29th. We'll attend to a bond motion between now and then," O'Mara told reporters after the hearing.
He said he chose not to ask for bail immediately because it might "only arouse the fervor" around the case.
Zimmerman, 28, whose father is white and mother Latino, has received death threats and was in hiding for weeks. Arrested on Wednesday, he could face life in prison if convicted.
For his protection, Zimmerman has been segregated from the general prison population in a 67-square-foot cell with a toilet and two beds, according to the local sheriff's office.
"He's facing a second-degree murder charge now," O'Mara said. "He's frightened. That would frighten any one of us."
The killing of Martin more than six weeks ago has set off a furious debate about race relations and self-defense laws, punctuated by a series of demonstrations across the country.
The encounter began when Zimmerman called police to report what he called "a real suspicious guy" and then followed Martin against the advice of a police operator. Two prosecution investigators reported that Zimmerman "disregarded the police dispatcher" who instructed him not to follow Martin and then confronted him until "a struggle ensued" that ended with Martin's death.
A bullet casing recovered at the scene of the killing was determined to have come from Zimmerman's handgun, the court filing said.
The neighborhood watch volunteer's lawyer, Mark O'Mara, also said he wanted Zimmerman to be released on bond, but not until he could secure a safe place for him to stay while he faces murder charges in the February 26 killing of 17-year-old Martin in a quiet gated community in the central Florida.
Zimmerman, hands shackled, head shaved and wearing a close-clipped goatee, addressed a judge via teleconference from jail. He said "Yes sir" twice during the five-minute hearing in a small jailhouse courtroom.
Judge Mark Herr set formal arraignment for May 29 and sealed some of the case file.
"It was a very standard procedure. A not guilty plea was entered. We have an arraignment set for the 29th. We'll attend to a bond motion between now and then," O'Mara told reporters after the hearing.
He said he chose not to ask for bail immediately because it might "only arouse the fervor" around the case.
Zimmerman, 28, whose father is white and mother Latino, has received death threats and was in hiding for weeks. Arrested on Wednesday, he could face life in prison if convicted.
For his protection, Zimmerman has been segregated from the general prison population in a 67-square-foot cell with a toilet and two beds, according to the local sheriff's office.
"He's facing a second-degree murder charge now," O'Mara said. "He's frightened. That would frighten any one of us."
The killing of Martin more than six weeks ago has set off a furious debate about race relations and self-defense laws, punctuated by a series of demonstrations across the country.
The encounter began when Zimmerman called police to report what he called "a real suspicious guy" and then followed Martin against the advice of a police operator. Two prosecution investigators reported that Zimmerman "disregarded the police dispatcher" who instructed him not to follow Martin and then confronted him until "a struggle ensued" that ended with Martin's death.
A bullet casing recovered at the scene of the killing was determined to have come from Zimmerman's handgun, the court filing said.
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