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| George Zimmerman lawyer requests new bond hearing after return to jail | George Zimmerman lawyer requests new bond hearing after return to jail |
| (30 days later) | |
| George Zimmerman, the accused murderer of Trayvon Martin, is likely to remain behind bars for at least another week before he will get the chance to plead for his freedom, court officials in Florida have said. | George Zimmerman, the accused murderer of Trayvon Martin, is likely to remain behind bars for at least another week before he will get the chance to plead for his freedom, court officials in Florida have said. |
| Zimmerman, 28, turned himself into prison authorities in Sanford on Sunday shortly before the expiration of a 48-hour deadline from a judge who revoked his bail for lying about his finances. | Zimmerman, 28, turned himself into prison authorities in Sanford on Sunday shortly before the expiration of a 48-hour deadline from a judge who revoked his bail for lying about his finances. |
| While his lawyer, Mark O'Mara, filed a motion for a new bail hearing and said that Zimmerman would apologise for "allowing his financial position to be misstated in court", it emerged that Judge Kenneth Lester Jr had other working commitments this week that will keep him out of the courtroom. | While his lawyer, Mark O'Mara, filed a motion for a new bail hearing and said that Zimmerman would apologise for "allowing his financial position to be misstated in court", it emerged that Judge Kenneth Lester Jr had other working commitments this week that will keep him out of the courtroom. |
| While he could decide to schedule a hearing, sources say it is unlikely. | While he could decide to schedule a hearing, sources say it is unlikely. |
| "The earliest I would expect there to be a hearing would be early to the middle of next week," Michelle Kennedy, spokeswoman for the 18th Judicial Circuit told the Guardian. | "The earliest I would expect there to be a hearing would be early to the middle of next week," Michelle Kennedy, spokeswoman for the 18th Judicial Circuit told the Guardian. |
| "No other judge will hear a bond hearing in this case. Judge Lester made the order revoking the bond and he will hear any further application on it." | "No other judge will hear a bond hearing in this case. Judge Lester made the order revoking the bond and he will hear any further application on it." |
| When the hearing does take place, Lester must decide whether to free Zimmerman again, probably under a significantly higher bond, or keep him incarcerated until his trial, which is unlikely to begin before next year. | When the hearing does take place, Lester must decide whether to free Zimmerman again, probably under a significantly higher bond, or keep him incarcerated until his trial, which is unlikely to begin before next year. |
| Zimmerman, a neighbourhood watch leader who admits shooting the unarmed Martin, 17, during a confrontation on 26 February but denies murder on the grounds of self-defence, had been in hiding for six weeks since Lester first ordered his release on $150,000 bail in April. | Zimmerman, a neighbourhood watch leader who admits shooting the unarmed Martin, 17, during a confrontation on 26 February but denies murder on the grounds of self-defence, had been in hiding for six weeks since Lester first ordered his release on $150,000 bail in April. |
| O'Mara described Zimmerman's family as of limited means but prosecutors claim that by the time of that hearing he had raised at least $135,000 through donations to a private website. | O'Mara described Zimmerman's family as of limited means but prosecutors claim that by the time of that hearing he had raised at least $135,000 through donations to a private website. |
| "We feel the failure to disclose these funds was caused by fear, mistrust, and confusion," O'Mara said in a statement to reporters Monday afternoon. | "We feel the failure to disclose these funds was caused by fear, mistrust, and confusion," O'Mara said in a statement to reporters Monday afternoon. |
| "The gravity of this mistake has been distinctly illustrated, and Mr Zimmerman understands that this mistake has undermined his credibility, which he will have to work to repair." | "The gravity of this mistake has been distinctly illustrated, and Mr Zimmerman understands that this mistake has undermined his credibility, which he will have to work to repair." |
| The lawyer went on to insist that he made the court aware of the funds as soon as knew about them, five days after the hearing, and said his client was under pressure at the time. | The lawyer went on to insist that he made the court aware of the funds as soon as knew about them, five days after the hearing, and said his client was under pressure at the time. |
| "At the point of the bond hearing, Mr Zimmerman had been driven from his home and neighbourhood, could not go to work, his wife could not go back to finish her nursing degree, his mother and father had been driven from their home, and he had been thrust into the national spotlight as a racist murderer by factions acting with their own agendas," he said. | "At the point of the bond hearing, Mr Zimmerman had been driven from his home and neighbourhood, could not go to work, his wife could not go back to finish her nursing degree, his mother and father had been driven from their home, and he had been thrust into the national spotlight as a racist murderer by factions acting with their own agendas," he said. |
| "None of those allegations have been supported by the discovery released to date, yet the hatred continues." | "None of those allegations have been supported by the discovery released to date, yet the hatred continues." |
| O'Mara also said today that donations to Zimmerman's new legal defence fund, which is administered independently and which has been taking in about $1,000 a day, had spiked since he went back to jail. | O'Mara also said today that donations to Zimmerman's new legal defence fund, which is administered independently and which has been taking in about $1,000 a day, had spiked since he went back to jail. |
| Overall donations from both funds have reached more than $240,000, he said, with $50,000 allocated for ongoing living expenses and making "the complicated transition from private life in Sanford, Florida, to a life in hiding as a defendant in a high-profile court case." | Overall donations from both funds have reached more than $240,000, he said, with $50,000 allocated for ongoing living expenses and making "the complicated transition from private life in Sanford, Florida, to a life in hiding as a defendant in a high-profile court case." |
| Meanwhile, Benjamin Crump, the lawyer representing Martin's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, said today that they welcomed Judge Lester's order sending Zimmerman back to prison. | Meanwhile, Benjamin Crump, the lawyer representing Martin's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, said today that they welcomed Judge Lester's order sending Zimmerman back to prison. |
| "They are relieved that the killer of their unarmed, teenage son is back in jail," he said in an interview with CNN. | "They are relieved that the killer of their unarmed, teenage son is back in jail," he said in an interview with CNN. |
| "They have always wanted him to stay in custody until the trial." | "They have always wanted him to stay in custody until the trial." |
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