Zimmerman to seek freedom amid fears for his safety

Attorney Mark O'Mara says emotions in the case are running high George Zimmerman, 28, is charged with second-degree murder The family of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin contend Zimmerman racially profiled their son Zimmerman says he acted in self-defense (CNN) -- An attorney will ask a Florida judge on Friday to allow George Zimmerman to post bond despite ongoing concerns about his safety amid a national uproar over his role in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman went into hiding immediately following the February 26 shooting of the unarmed, black teen after the case sparked a heated, national debate over racial profiling and saw thousands of protesters demand his arrest. "There have been a lot of emotions that have come forward in this case, and some of those emotions have shown themselves in bad ways," defense lawyer Mark O'Mara said this week about his client's well-being. Zimmerman, 28, surrendered to authorities after being charged with second-degree murder in connection with Martin's death. Martin's family contends Zimmerman racially profiled their son, who was walking back from a convenience store in Sanford. var currExpandable="expand15"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/04/20/ac-pkg-tuchman-zimmerman-corey.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com
/cnn/dam/assets/120420021029-ac-pkg-tuchman-zimmerman-corey-00004826-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand15Store=mObj; 'Overcharging' George Zimmerman? var currExpandable="expand25"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/04/20/ac-martin-family-rejects-zimmerman-meeting.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120420123649-ac-martin-family-rejects-zimmerman-meeting-00001409-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand25Store=mObj; Martin family rejects Zimmerman meeting var currExpandable="expand35"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/04/19/ac-trayvon-martin-family-bond-hearing.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120419103139-ac-trayvon-martin-family-bond-hearing-00003908-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand35Store=mObj; Family will go to Zimmerman bond hearing var currExpandable="expand45"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='crime/2012/04/19/bts-rick-scott-task-force.wfsu'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120419062529-bts-rick-scott-task-force-00011725-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand45Store=mObj; Florida governor to revisit gun law Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, maintains he acted in self-defense. His family says he did not profile Martin. O'Mara will file the bond motion with the case's new judge, Kenneth Lester Jr. 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. Zimmerman claims he is indigent. The defense is expected to argue Zimmerman is not a flight risk or danger to the community. Although Zimmerman's previous attorneys indicated he fled Florida out of fears for his safety, he remained in touch with authorities when they needed to reach him, according to Sanford police. Zimmerman surrendered April 11 to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Special prosecutor Angela Corey has the burden of showing why bond should not be set or if it should be high. Even if the judge grants O'Mara's motion, it's unclear whether Zimmerman could make bond. O'Mara has previously said Zimmerman has no money. O'Mara filed a motion that asks the court to allow Zimmerman's family members to provide testimony at the bond hearing by telephone. The state attorney's office did not object. Natalie Jackson, an attorney for Martin's family, told CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin on Thursday that O'Mara called to set up a private meeting between Zimmerman and the Martin family. The family declined, Jackson said, indicating they want Zimmerman, instead, to give a deposition on what happened the night Martin was shot. Although details of the shooting remain murky, what is known is that Martin ventured out from his father's fiancee's home in Sanford to a nearby convenience store, where he bought a bag of Skittles and an Arizona Iced Tea. var currExpandable="expand115"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='crime/2012/04/18/erin-new-judge-martin-case.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120419122214-erin-new-judge-martin-case-00001306-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand115Store=mObj; New Martin judge will 'apply the law' var currExpandable="expand215"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2012/04/19/dnt-zimmerman-skittles-art.kdvr'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120419024709-dnt-zimmerman-skittles-art-00001517-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand215Store=mObj; Artist depicts Zimmerman in Skittles var currExpandable="expand315"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/04/17/exp-point-nejame-zimmerman-judge.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120417112341-exp-point-nejame-zimmerman-judge-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand315Store=mObj; Finding a fair judge in Zimmerman case var currExpandable="expand415"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/04/17/ac-judge-recksiedler-recusal.cnn'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120417020751-ac-judge-recksiedler-recusal-00004807-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand415Store=mObj; Judge asked to step aside in Martin case On his way back, he had a confrontation with Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, and Zimmerman shot him. Zimmerman had called 911 to complain about a suspicious person in the neighborhood, according to authorities. In the call, Zimmerman said he was following Martin after the teen started to run, after which the dispatcher told him, "We don't need you to do that." Zimmerman pursued Martin anyway before saying he lost sight of him. According to an Orlando Sentinel story later confirmed by Sanford police, Zimmerman told authorities that after he briefly lost track of Martin, the teen approached him. After the two exchanged words, Zimmerman said, he reached for his cell phone, and then Martin punched him in the nose. Zimmerman said Martin pinned him to the ground and began slamming his head into the sidewalk. Police have said Zimmerman was not immediately charged because there was no evidence to disprove his account that he'd acted in self-defense. A police report indicated the volunteer was bleeding from the nose and the back of his head Sanford, the city where the shooting took place, held a community healing meeting Thursday night. For some Sanford residents, the Martin case has become a rallying cry, a chance to air what they believe are years of grievances and cases of injustice between the police, the courts and the black community. For others, it has forced them to defend their town as a place that is not inherently racist, a place where a young black man cannot be killed without consequence. During the meeting, the city offered a plan to improve strained relations among police and the black community. The proposal includes a community relations commission, a blue-ribbon panel to represent community concerns and a diverse interfaith alliance and an anti-violence campaign. Meanwhile, Florida authorities have picked 17 people to tackle a heated question brought on by the killing of Martin: whether the state's "stand your ground law" should be changed. The task force, whose membership was announced Thursday, will review the law that allows people to use deadly force when they feel a reasonable threat of death or serious injury. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CNN's John Couwels contributed to this report.

Zimmerman to seek freedom amid fears for his safety 2012-04-20T00:15:00-07:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: Undercover 999