SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Attorney Mark O'Mara said in a court motion released on Monday that George Zimmerman, who is charged with killing Trayvon Martin, poses no threat to the community and should be released a second time on bail.
O'Mara asked that Zimmerman be granted bond for a second time as he awaits a second-degree murder charge in the 17-year-old Martin's shooting death during a confrontation in February in a gated community in Sanford, Fla. His attorney says Zimmerman isn't a flight risk and stayed in touch with law enforcement during his initial release on bail.
A judge will consider the request at a second bond hearing Friday.
Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defense.
Zimmerman was granted a $150,000 bond last April, but it was revoked earlier this month after prosecutors accused Zimmerman and his wife of misleading the court about how much money they had raised from donations to a website. Prosecutors say they had raised at least $135,000 from the website created by Zimmerman.
WFTV learned that Zimmerman wants a new bond. O'Mara argued he should get a reasonable bond because Zimmerman followed the rules while he was out on bond the first time and voluntarily turned himself in.
"Zimmerman's attorney will argue any money sitting in Zimmerman's accounts now is needed for his defense," WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said.
During the hearing, Zimmerman's wife, Shellie, testified that the couple had limited funds to use for bail since she was a full-time nursing student and he wasn't working. Zimmerman did nothing to correct her as she testified by telephone due to safety concerns. Prosecutors say jailhouse calls between Zimmerman and his wife a few days before the hearing show Zimmerman instructing his wife on how to transfer funds raised by the website to her account.
"To a judge, this would appear to be an orchestrated attempt by the Zimmermans to hide the money from the court," Sheaffer said.
Zimmerman's wife, Shellie, was later charged with making a false statement.
"Mr. Zimmerman's failure to advise the court of the existence of the donated funds at the initial bail hearing was wrong and Mr. Zimmerman accepts responsibility for his part in allowing the court to be misled as to his true financial circumstances," O'Mara wrote in the motion.
O'Mara also will ask Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester to reconsider his decision to make public all of Zimmerman's jailhouse calls and the statement of an unnamed witness. O'Mara said most of the calls aren't subject to the state's public records laws and the witness statement is irrelevant and could prejudice a potential jury.
Attorneys for two sets of media groups filed motions Monday arguing there was no need for the judge to reconsider his decision.
"There should be no further delay in the public's access to these public records," attorney Scott Ponce wrote in a motion for one media group that includes The Associated Press.
Sheaffer also said that O'Mara will argue there is no proof Zimmerman told his wife to allegedly mislead the court about how much money they had.
WFTV
