Friday
Jun012012
The Seminole County Courthouse
Friday, June 1, 2012 at 10:14AM I decided to take a trip up to the Seminole County courthouse to take a look around. I want to familiarize myself with the building. It’s a lot different from the one I got so used to during the 3 years I covered the Casey Anthony story.
I plan on attending today’s hearing regarding what evidence the public will get to see before the trial. I have a noon doctor appointment and the hearing is slated to start at 1:30.
If the picture quality is poor, it’s because I used my cell phone.
Dave Knechel | in Benjamin Crump, Dave Knechel, David B. Knechel, David Knechel, George Zimmerman, Human Interest, Judge Kenneth R. Lester, Jr., Marinade Dave, Marinade Dave Knechel, Mark O'Mara, Rachel Fugate, Seminole County, Seminole County Courthouse, Slimm v. Zimm, State Attorney Angela Corey, State Attorney's Office, Sybrina Fulton, Tracy Martin, Trayvon Martin, Zimm v. Slimm, marinadedave | Share Article 
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Reader Comments (84)
Good pictures, they are so clear and thanks again for covering this.
Pretty good pictures for a cell phone. Thanks for taking and sharing them with us. It is nice to see the court house where this trial will take place.
George Zimmerman, the defendant in one of the most-watched murder cases in the country, on Thursday added a new lawyer to his defense team: veteran Orlando attorney Donald R. West, who specializes in murders.
Attorney Mark O'Mara, lead defense counsel in the case, plans to make a formal announcement today.
George Zimmerman's legal team adds murder specialist Don West
Court hearing may decide debate over George Zimmerman statements in Trayvon Martin case
Live Stream of Hearing
Dave just arrived....
Yes, I did. Sitting 2 rows behind Trayvon's parents attorney, Benjamin Crump. I'll be taking notes on my iPad from here on out, so I won't be commenting much.
Audio is terrible... we r getting feed back
We have the live audio and can also hear the 10 second delay.... it is difficult to hear... take lots of notes, Dave...
I have been to that courthouse myself Dave, and it is truly a very impressive building.
Zimmerman's bond has been revoked. He will be back at Sanford jail within the next 48 hours.. George's wife has left herself wide open for pending perjury charges....
A Florida judge has revoked bail for George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case and ordered that he surrender himself within 48 hours.
Prosecutors had called for the bail to be rescinded, arguing that Zimmerman's wife knew about, but failed to mention at a bond hearing, the donations her husband had collected through a PayPal account, but didn't mention the money at his bond hearing.
Prosecutors had asked Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester to revoke the bail, arguing that Zimmerman's wife knew about more than $100,000 in donations that he had collected through a PayPal account, but failed to mention it at a bond hearing.
The judge in the George Zimmerman second-degree murder trial revoked his bond today and ordered him to surrender himself in 48 hours.
Prosecutors had filed a motion today seeking to revoke his bond and accusing Zimmerman of “deceiving” the court about his finances and his possession of a second passport, which he apparently acquired two weeks after the shooting.
In recordings of conversations released today during a court hearing, Zimmerman and his wife cryptically talk about his second passport in a safety deposit box they shared.
Although one of his passports was due to expire in May, prosecutors said today, Zimmerman applied for a second passport, informing the State Department that the original had been lost lost or stolen.
In some of the phone calls between the two, she is at a credit union that was linked to his PayPal account and speaking to a teller. The prosecution said that she was “intimately involved in the deposit and transfer of funds and money into various accounts.”
Prosecutors allege Zimmerman's wife knew about the donations her husband had collected through a PayPal account, but didn't mention the money at his bond hearing.
The account ultimately collected about $200,000, his attorney later revealed.
"Defendant has intentionally deceived the court with the assistance of his wife," the motion says. "During the jail phone calls both of them spoke in code to hide what they were doing."
Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda told the judge today that "this court was led to believe that they didn't have a single penny" at the earlier bond hearing.
Zimmerman's wife "flat out lied to this court," de la Rionda said. Lester agreed, revoking Zimmerman's bond. He must turn himself in, the judge said.
Read more here....
Source
Dave~~ I have tried to give Zimmerman the benefit of the doubt and do my best to weigh both sides of the case. I do not condone deception and I am disgusted that Z's spouse blatantly lied to the court with Zimmerman's blessings. Now with lying about the passport, I am wondering if both of them planned on amassing enough money to skip the country.
I wonder how long O'Mara will stay as Z's counsel. I don't think he will want to represent a client who is trying to pull the wool over his eyes too.
Well this certainly isn't going to be good for George/Wife from here on out. I am glad the Judge revoked his bail. I also don't believe his account of that night he shot Trayvon.
Wow! I go to my son's class picnic, and come home to major events. I wonder now whether the new lawyer is O'Mara's replacement.
Thank you for being our eyes and ears, Dave. And thank you, Snoopy, for all the updates.
MollyK~ ~I don't think that the new attorney, Donald West is a replacement for O'Mara. O'Mara will probably stick it out but I think he will have some stern talk to Zimmerman.
I think perjury charges should be filed against Zimmerman's wife. She lied under oath and should not be allowed to get away with it. It is set an example for the future Cindy Anthony's who lied on the stand and got away with it.
This is not looking good for Zimmerman and his credibility. O'Mara may as forget about trying to get Z immunity on the SYG- self defense. He will be lucky to get the second degree reduced to manslaughter. If I were in O'Mara's shoes, I would get Z to plea.
I've always thought this would end in a plea deal of some sort, as would be/is the case the vast majority of the time anyways. Very immature people here, clearly. And I can't imagine the heated texts flying about within the Gun Lobby.
Can't wait for the post, and lovely pics, Dave.
Video recap from WESH
Judge Lester on his bond ruling-Video 2:54 minutes
The transcripts of the coded phone calls are in this motion plus the info re the passports.
State's Motion to Revoke Bond-in pdf
I so hope they charge GZ's wife for intentional deception. GZ's parents and grandmother put up their homes for collateral-did they know about this money? Maybe the whole family is in on this one. I just don't like seeing anyone deceived. If you are in the right, even if only legally, then you don't need to lie or hide anything.
I think that he just killed his SYG case. But considering what we know now ( that he is deceitful and conniving) and lets go back in time to the scene that night. I think that we have to assume that everything this guy said that night was a lie. I will say this. He is good- I just watched the bond hearing and "apology" again. What a con man.
Yeah, well, I thought his demeanor at his first appearance before the female judge was phony.
That apology was the stupidest move I've ever seen in a court of law. It reminded me of apologies that go like this: "Im sorry IF I offended you." If? Anyways, that apology was so insincere. And insulting. I wasn't impressed by it and I actually winced listening to it knowing it was being heard by Trayvon's parents as it was coming out of his lying mouth. You must have a strong constitution to listen to it again, Porky 3100.
I'm reminded of Zimmerman's attempt to negotiate directly with the special prosecutor, which infuriated his original lawyer. Put that together with his ignoring the dispatcher's instruction to stop following Trayvon, and going off after him with a loaded gun, and this latest issue, I see a profile of someone who goes off half-cocked against expert advice. I also see a lack of intelligence. How stupid does someone have to be to lie under oath to a judge about financial resources and passports?
Thankyou for post and photos Dave..G Zimmerman is an imbasile along with his wife.His credibilty is being eroded by his deceit.When the crux of his defence will be his truthfullness.Regarding events that transpired on the night in question.He is makeing it very hard for his defence team.If he lies over such minor issues in the scheme of things like money passports ect.Whom can beleive he will tell the truth when his freedom for the next few decades may be on the line.His best option may be to plead an advice of this may well be offered to him by his legal team.Will he accept this advice?I M O no he will not.Seems as the son of a Judge he has been given an out so many times in the past for wrong doings .In his head he can not conceive that he will be held accountable for his actions .He is probably thinking just get me a jury from clearwater an all will be cool.
I am still pleased by the lawyers and judge in this case. Their professionalism just hits me the right way. Day and night from the Anthony case where so much bickering was going on. I have to think this revoking of the bond came as no surprise to Zimmerman because O'Mara would have told him it was a possibility. Some of this might have come as a surprise to the defense but it sure didn't seem like it. I also liked the judge's anger at the court being lied to and suggesting in an roundabout way that the prosecution bring some kind of charges against Z's wife also. I'm just liking the legal people this time around.
As far as Zimmerman and his wife are concerned, I don't know what to think. I imagine when the subject of this money came up, O'Mara probably told him it would be a problem. In this day and age it's just mind boggling to me that people think they can lie and get away with it. For pete's sake the man's own father is a judge.. if anyone should know better it should be him. I don't know if it's that he's not very smart or he's just so full of himself that he doesn't believe he'll get caught or do any time at all for the shooting. Credibility is everything in this case and if he didn't just blow his, then he sure put a huge dent in it.
George Zimmerman back in Fla. jail
I keep hearing that Z made an application for a passport 2 weeks after the shooting. Z got a passport in 2002 and it expired in May 2012. He made another application for a passport in 2004 as he thought his original passport was lost or stolen. That passport expires in 2014 and apparently is in a safety deposit box. This is the passport that should have been turned over, in fact both of them should have been. The media was false in saying Z applied for a pp two weeks after the shooting. Had they read the state’s motion, they would see that they made a mistake.
I caught that also Snoopy. Either way he withheld that Passport.
Thanks for the link about Zimmerman turning himself in. I read a few of the comments and I just have to say I find it very sad people are attacking the Judge and Prosecutions. When did it become okay to lie in a court of law? Why is Zimmerman never accountable for his own actions? Had they disclosed the money and the real passport not the expired one (it becomes expired when you get a replacement like a d.l.) none of this would have happened.
I believe in the transcript from court on Friday in the recording his wife asked in a coded way how much to use for bail. She even mentioned 100 and Z said he had to think about it. It makes me question what he planned on doing with the money? Did he think he could shoot a kid dead and get rich? IMO Z is just a liar and now I seriously question everything he has said. jmo
Laura~~I have not read where anyone is attacking Judge Lester or the prosecution. I guess that I have not been to those websites or blogs. I think second degree murder was overcharged by Corey. A jury may feel the same way but we will wait and see.
I do see some attacking O'Mara and I think that is childish. O'Mara is going to follow the letter of the law and will not be swayed by Z not being factual with him. O'Mara is a profession and displays that inside and outside of the courtroom. He is a breath of fresh air compared to Baez and old fart, Mason.
When did people think that they could lie in a court of law? Cindy Anthony can answer that one for you.
No, I do not beleive that Z wanted to shoot a kid and get rich. He made a fatal mistake by being overzealous and acting impulsive. By not revealing his true financial position shows immaturity on his part and he is about to learn a lesson, possibly the hard way.
I read about his surrender at yahoo. Many people have been complaining about the judge and prosecutor.
I am not sure if they over charged. I do question besides him being a minor what they have to get them to that level. Apparently during the hearing on Friday one witness has made a statement on something Zimmerman did t him/her so they are concerned about their name being released.
I guess my point about the money is his wife said in the recorded calls that is what it is for (bail) but he still needed to think about how much of it he wanted to use for bail.
Laura ~~re killing a minor, I believe that is an aggevating circumstance when it comes down to the sentencing phase of the trial. I think there is a cut off age when it comes to who is classed as a minor. You generally see that agg/circum applied in death penalty cases. Unless the FBI charges Z with a hate crime that will not come into play.
Judge Lester wants to have a hearing with Z and Shelly and give them a chance to explain before he makes his decision on any future negotiations on a bond. Before all this money was made available, O'Mara was seeking that Z be declared indigent. As soon as Mark learned of the $204K in the fund, he brought it to the Judge's attention.
I did not know until the last hearing that Shelly was making withdrawals from the fund and transferring said monies to different accounts at the credit union. Now this was deception! It is not an easy task to charge someone with perjury but De La Rionda may give it a shot. I am not sure what the penalty for perjury is but she may be cooling her tootsies in a jail cell for a spell. Judge Lester gave the state the option of filing charges against her.
It will be interesting to hear how Shelly and Z can explain that 'code'... I don't think Z was explaining to Shelly how to make a fruit salad with apples and oranges.
After the fund reached $204K, I heard it was averaging donations at $1K per day but that is just hearsay. If the Judge entertains another bond, O'Mara will have to make the balance of that account known. The fund account is under his management.
Not much of a code, but clearly they were trying to conceal the magnitude of the sums they were handling. It seems to me that the testimony in court is all that is needed to get them both on perjury. And I hope this can be put before the jury. Zimmerman's defense depends on his credibility, and he has been caught in a blatant lie. I've seen O'Mara being interviewed, and he doesn't even try to deny that the Zimmermans were lying. We'll see what happens in the next hearing.
MollyK ~~Mark O'Mara is a man of integrity and a professional attorney and he would never jeopardize his career by condoning the lies of his client or their spouse. The facts are there, Z and Shelly tried to dupe the court so it would be no use trying to deny it. Now, on the other hand, if it were Baez....blab blab blab....lol
So I looked up 2nd degree murder in Florida this is what I found.
The victim is dead;
The death was caused by the criminal act of the defendant;
There was an unlawful killing of the victim by an act imminently dangerous to another and demonstrating a depraved mind without regard for human life.
Understanding a second degree murder can be more confusing than the more serious first degree murder. The "criminal act" reference in the statute must be a single event or series of related actions arising from and performed pursuant to a single design or purpose of committing the murder or creating the dangerous condition that led to the death. Although second-degree murder can carry a potential incarceration of up to life in prison, the death penalty cannot be imposed on a person found guilty of second-degree murder.
IMO She prosecuted this way because Z did not follow dispatchers advice and not follow therefore he created this situation.
Z arriving at jail-raw video
Laura~~now if you look up the rules and regulations of the Stand Your Ground law, it may contradict what you wrote. This is what is so confusing.
The prosecutor said that Z's statements to investigators contradict the evidence. That means she thinks she has something that will negate the SYG law and prove guilt.
Personally, I think the SYG defense flew out the window on Friday. Prior to that, I didn't think he'd get it anyway because there were no eyewitnesses who saw the actual shooting. There's really no one who will solidly back him up except for Frank Taaffe, and he wasn't there. The judge will let a jury sort this out. He will not rely on the testimony of the victim's killer alone. And that would only be the case if O'Mara puts him in the hot seat. A conundrum to say the least.
Dave~~I respectfully disagree with everything you just wrote.
You can do that, but we'll see...
Also, you disagree with what the prosecutor said? Or you just disagree because I said she said it? I mean, she DID say it.
Obviously, if she thinks he's guilty of 2nd-degree murder, she expects the SYG problem to disappear.
I thought stand your ground went out the window when he started following Trayvon. How could he be standing his ground if he started the ball rolling?
IMO The only defense he has left is self defense but again can you start the problem and then pull a gun and shoot someone without warning? IMO if he said to Trayvon get off or I will shoot imo the fight would have ended. No one wants to be shot.
This is just my opinion. I also thought SYG had more to do with your property. House yard etc not every location you went to. That seems like it would fall under self defense. Dave do you know? I know they plan to use it as a defense but if it is just a spin off from the castle law, well again I thought that would be your property.
Corey was pressured into making the call of second degree murder. Frank Taaffee wasn't present when Trayvon was shot....what he says is moot.
Judge Lester will hear the evidence and be the one to make the call on the immunity re the SYG.
Dave if they do decide to do the SYG hearing that will go in front of the same Judge he just tried to pull the wool over correct? So in other words your Honor I know I lied in the past but this time I am being honest, right! Zimmerman and his wife may have just shot himself in the foot unless I am wrong about the Judge.
How does anyone know when he is telling the truth? IIRC LE has him giving three different versions of the happenings that night. He told the dispatcher one age, apologized using the excuse of another. The passport issue and the money issue. If he honestly shot this kid in self defense why all the lies?
The SYG law could still apply, but in this case, there's no evidence to prove that's what happened, according to the prosecution. I am going to cite a case that happened recently in Florida and there were witnesses, too.
I think if Corey felt pressure she would have gone with the manslaughter charge. The one everyone thought she would have charged.
Dave did you hear them discuss the witness Friday that has said Zimmerman did something to them or said something to them? Apparently they (he/she witness) fear him, or at least that is how I took what they were saying.
Laura~ ~ politicians and prosecutors make strange bed fellows...need I say more... except is Goldilocks running for reelection?
Until we see some facts presented to us, everything is speculation...
Dave ~~just recently, I have posted about three different cases on my blog...all went before the judge re SYG...all three got turned down. One fellow shot his drug dealer in the face, he got acquitted of second degree murder by a jury of his peers. A woman rec'd 20 years after shooting at her spouse...the spouse admitted to abusing her.... I cannot remember the third one at this moment... I will go to my blog and check...
Here ya go....
Florida woman sentenced to 20 years in controversial warning shot case
Tampa jury acquits man, 18, who admitted shooting his drug dealer
I think the third one was mentioned here on your blog, Dave. It was a black man and his pregnant wife driving and a Hispanic mentally challenged man out walking his dog was shot and killed. It happened in Arizona... the black man has not been arrested to date as he claimed self-defense. Ecossie and I discussed it here and I am too lazy to go back and find it.
BTW, the mentally challenged man supposedly went to the driver's car door with a baseball bat and/or steel pipe....neither one was found at the scene..
That would be Witness 9, I believe. I'm still sorting thru the notes I took on my iPad. But I don't think it was an actual threat more than it was to protect the names of witnesses; to protect them from the public, not Zimmerman. The original intent of the statute was to protect witnesses from attack by the defendants, but Discovery shows that releasing documents has not had much, if any, impact.
And Snoopy, that's my point. This is a firm judge. He will not take George's word for it. Let the jury decide. Therefore, no SYG dismissal of the case.