Posted on 06/01/2012 11:50:10 AM PDT by Lurker
ORLANDO, Fla. (WLS) - Prosecutors asked a judge Friday to revoke the bond of the neighborhood watch volunteer charged with killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Prosecutors said in a motion that 28-year-old George Zimmerman and his family misled them about his finances when testifying during a bail hearing that allowed him to be released from jail on a $150,000 bond. Prosecutor Bernie De la Rionda asked for the revocation during a hearing to help determine if prosecutors and the defense can stop the public release of certain documents in the case.
During the bond hearing in April, Zimmerman's relatives testified they had limited funds. Zimmerman's attorney said several days later that he had discovered his client had raised more than $200,000 from a website. At the time of the hearing, about $135,000 had been raised, and that money wasn't disclosed at the bond hearing.
"This court was led to believe they didn't have a single penny," said Prosecutor Bernie De la Rionda. "It was misleading and I don't know what words to use other than it was a blatant lie."
Defense attorney Mark O'Mara said it was an innocent misunderstanding and that Zimmerman wasn't using that money for his expenses and wasn't sure what he could use the money for. He said Zimmerman used the houses of his parents and grandmother as collateral for the bond.
Prosecutors also said in the motion that Zimmerman didn't disclose he had a second passport. Zimmerman turned his passport over to the court at the bond hearing as a measure that would prevent him from fleeing the country.
Zimmerman is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder and claims self-defense. Zimmerman shot Martin last February during a confrontation at a gated community of townhouses in Sanford, Fla., where Zimmerman lived and where Martin was visiting his father's fiancee.
The delay in an arrest for 44 days prompted protests nationwide and led to Sanford's police chief stepping aside so emotions could cool down.
At Friday's hearing, De la Rionda and O'Mara also asked a judge to stop the public release of witness names and statements made by Zimmerman to police officers. Those documents normally are part of the public record under Florida law.
"What's occurring, unfortunately, are cases are being tried in the public sector as opposed to in the courtroom," De La Rionda told Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester. "We are in a new age with Twitter, Facebook, and all these things I've never heard of before in my career.
Everybody gets to find out intimate details about witnesses that never occurred before. Witnesses are going to be reluctant to get involved."
A consortium of more than a dozen media groups, including The Associated Press, asked the judge to ignore the request, saying such records are presumed to be publicly available under Florida law.
Rachel Fugate, an attorney for the Orlando Sentinel, cited the Casey Anthony trial as an example of a highly publicized case in which a jury was able to be seated despite intense media coverage. The Florida mother was acquitted last year of killing her 2-year-old daughter.
"Discovery in Florida has traditionally been open ... and Florida hasn't encountered problems seating juries and giving defendants fair trials," Fugate said.
O'Mara said Friday on a website that he doesn't expect the case to be ready for trial until next year.
O'Mara said he expects to call on 50 witnesses who need to be deposed before he decides whether to file a "stand your ground" motion which would ask for a hearing before a judge without a jury. At the hearing, Zimmerman would argue self-defense under the Florida law which gives wide latitude to use deadly force rather than retreat in a fight if people believe they are in danger of being killed or seriously injured.
The Associated Press Contributed To This Report
Oh Reilly? Lied to the court? I don't know about that seeing how the state of Florida has acted scandalous in this matter. They don't have much credibility.
I don't know if he's innocent or guilty. No one other than Zimmerman knows exactly what happened, and we don't know what Zimmerman told the cops/prosecutors.
The cop initially and the local prosecutor's office cleared Zimmerman and they are correct. The evidence clearly supports Zimmerman as it is consistent with his side of events.
If you've been paying attention, this clearly a political show trial by the state of Florida.
In any event, his innocence/guilt is irrelevant to his bond hearing. Even an innocent person who has been arrested should not lie in court.
I did state that the court has "other options" like Zimmerman has 48 hours to turn in his 'other passport' or the bold would be revoked.
Even Kafka can't follow that one.
Yes!
Since the courts, executive and legislative branches all lie to use and make up BS as they go, I see no reason not to do the same to them.
Interesting...The bond is based on the net worth of the indivdual??? Seems it ought to be based on the charges...
It's as OK as it is OK for courts to lie to citizens, as they do every day.
Conscience of a Conservative
Reviewing your past posts on this board it appears you side with black thugs and illegal immigrants in near every one of them. How much does ‘OFA’ pay you to sit down writing this tripe?
You’re an Obama-whore trying to spread dissension on conservative web sites. Honest much? Conscience - very little.
One of the passports expired in May. This a gianormous CF. I still think Crump is behind this.
That's the first thing I noticed, too.
It is no wonder the Democrat "mainstream" newsrooms are dying. I only wish they'd hurry up and be dead already.
His own attorney acknowledges that he failed to disclose the extra money and the second passport.
The cop initially and the local prosecutor's office cleared Zimmerman and they are correct. The evidence clearly supports Zimmerman as it is consistent with his side of events.
According to the records that were released a couple of weeks ago, the police initially recommended that he be charged with manslaughter.
With respect to the evidence supporting Zimmerman, not all of the evidence has been publicly released. Most importantly, Zimmerman's own statements to the police & prosecutors haven't been released. The prosecution claims he made inconsistent statements. His lawyer claims he did not. We don't know what he said. Considering that he was the only person there who is alive, it's hard to come to any definitive conclusion about exactly what happened without seeing those statements.
Thank you Shadowland!
If the bond wasn’t revoked, how can the judge order Zimmerman back to jail in 48 hours? I think the judge ordering Zimmerman back to jail is ipso facto revocation of bail? That is, the judge accepted the prosecutions request that bail be revoked.
This is disturbing. I don’t even see, based on what has been made public, how any judge in good conscience can even allow this travesty to move forward.
Even more disturbing to me, is the knowledge that black America has essentially declared all out violent war on white and asian Americans - a one-sided war.
It’s time to open our eyes and take a hard cold assessment of this situation. There is no government that will help us in this national crisis. The executive branch has been completely compromised to the thugs.
“= flight risk.”
The irony here is he’s not a traditional flight risk trying to escape justice in the court.
He’s a risk because he’s trying to escape the lynch mob blacks that want him dead ASAP.
Bingo. sad, but true. The prosecutors know they can't get a conviction, but it would be "convenient" if Zimmerman "went away". It's the "New Justice"©.
My position on the Zimmerman case all along has been that we don't have all of the evidence, and we don't know exactly what happened or who started the confrontation. That's not "siding with" Martin, that's just not jumping to a conclusion either way.
You’re an Obama-whore trying to spread dissension on conservative web sites. Honest much? Conscience - very little.
You're saying (in the context of this discussion) that because I don't jump to a conclusion about Zimmerman's guilt or innocence, and because I don't think he should have lied to the court, I am "an Obama-whore trying to spread dissention on conservative websites"? That's absurd.
1. When the public mood was being fed by the MSM so that Zimmerman was being seen as a vile racist killer, the prosecution didn’t have a problem with it.
2. Now that the facts are leaking out, and Zimmerman is seen as someone who didn’t just shoot a Black man for the thrill of it, and may have in fact had good reason, the prosecutor is suddenly suffering from a severe case of the vapors.
3. The MSM might be forgiven for jumping the gun here, because it’s my take the Justice Department was the driving force behind these charges, and whatever the prosecution asks for, they’re likely to get in this atmosphere. The prosecution has spoken. It’s a fate accompli.
Sorry to be the spelling cop here that it is spelled. Just Us.
No, actually what I was saying is: You are neither a conservative or possessed of a conscience.
Sorry if there was any misunderstanding.
This is about denying the defense attorney access to his client. With access the defense attorney is better able to work assembling a defense and contact a client with questions regarding the case.
With the defendat in jail, the prosecutors are playing games to cover their weak case. CLIENTS ALWAYS underestimate their financial resources. This is selective enforcement.
The AP article is also a lie designed to tamper with the jury. The judge should call upon the AP for a rule to show cause why they should not be held in contempt. (they have submitted themselves to the court via motions)
They asked but it does not say they filed a written motion NOR was it noticed for hearing at that time.
This article is way beyond mere yellow journalism.
You could also enter some info in your FR home page to tell us your location and a little about yourself.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.