Lawyer says George Zimmerman afraid for his safety

MIAMI -- George Zimmerman spent his first 24 hours free on bail "on his own" and in fear of his life, his attorney said in a television interview Monday night.

Zimmerman was released from jail early Monday wearing a bulletproof vest, defense attorney Mark O'Mara told CNN. He said authorities were not providing security for him, so several locations have been arranged for him to "maintain his safety and security."

"There's been a lot of chatter about his release, and that's concerning him and us," O'Mara said. "He's sort of on his own with his own protection at this point."

O'Mara said the security and housing were being paid for by Zimmerman's family. It was unclear how much has been raised from websites set up to collect donations, he said. One site has about $800 and another a few thousand dollars, but he was not certain that anyone had withdrawn any funds, he told CNN's Anderson Cooper.

Zimmerman faces a second-degree murder charge in the Feb. 26 shooting of unarmed Miami Gardens teenager Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman shot Trayvon in a gated community in Sanford, near Orlando, in what he claims was an act of self-defense.

It took six weeks before Zimmerman was arrested, and he now faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted. He posted $150,000 bail.

"George greatly appreciates your thoughts, and donations. We are working on obtaining an update directly from George very soon," someone posted on Zimmerman's website, TheRealGeorgeZimmerman.com. "GZ hopes to be able to update the site in the next day or two, God willing."

By late morning Tuesday, the site had been taken down. O'Mara posted a note on Twitter saying his client would have no Internet presence.

More court documents relating to the murder trial were posted online Tuesday, including one showing that his attorney filed a written not-guilty plea on April 16.

O'Mara also waived Zimmerman's right to appear at his arraignment. It was originally scheduled for late May, but was moved up to May 8.

Court records show O'Mara filed a demand on April 16 that prosecutors let him examine or copy any evidence they have in the case within 15 days.

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(c)2012 The Miami Herald

Visit The Miami Herald at www.miamiherald.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

 

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