Zimmerman's defense team files appeal to remove judge from case

[X Factor 1,110]

Zimmerman's defense team files appeal to remove judge from case

Lawyers for George Zimmerman, the Florida man charged with murder in the death of teenager Trayvon Martin, said Monday that they are appealing a judge's decision not to step aside in the controversial case.

In a one-sentence order issued August 1, Seminole County Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester said that defense lawyers' July request that he recuse himself was "legally insufficient."

The same team announced Monday on a website they've set up that they'd since filed a petition for writ of prohibition asking Florida's fifth district appeals court to try to remove Lester from the case. The office of lawyer Mark O'Mara later confirmed to CNN that the appeal was filed Monday.

"Right now, of course, he is still the trial judge on the case, (and) we're still moving forward with whatever we have to do or need to do," O'Mara said of Lester on Monday, according to CNN affiliate WESH. "But the appellate court will handle what's called this extraordinary writ as quickly as they can."

Judge in Zimmerman case says he won't step aside

It's Trayvon Martin's parents' turn

On April 20, weeks after the February 26 shooting and nine days after charges were issued, Lester set a $150,000 bond for Zimmerman. But the judge revoked that bond in June, after learning that Zimmerman and his wife, Shellie, had misrepresented their financial situation during a court hearing, including failing to disclose more than $150,000 in donations from the public.

In his order last month, Lester said that the new $1 million bail order was not a punishment but an amount that assured the court that Zimmerman would not abscond.

In his ruling, Lester wrote about the first bond hearing and noted an undisclosed second passport kept in Zimmerman's safe deposit box.

"Notably, together with the passport, the money only had to be hidden for a short time for him to leave the country if the defendant made a quick decision to flee," the judge said. "It is entirely reasonable for this court to find that, but for the requirement that he be placed on electronic monitoring, the defendant and his wife would have fled the United States with at least $130,000 of other people's money."

Lester wrote that the defendant's plans to flee were "thwarted."

Days later, the defense team filed a motion in circuit court saying Zimmerman cannot get a fair trial because Lester used "gratuitous, disparaging" language in his second bail order.

Florida prosecutors mistakenly release confidential Zimmerman case documents

"Mr. Zimmerman has lost faith in the objectivity of this court and has a reasonable, well-founded fear that he will not receive a fair trial by this court," his lawyers said in the document.

Zimmerman's attorneys particularly took issue with two of the judge's comments: "Under any definition, the defendant has flouted the system," citing the definition of flout, and "The defendant has tried to manipulate the system when he has been presented the opportunity to do so."

The 28-year-old Zimmerman is free after posting the more recent $1 million bond. He's charged with second-degree murder in the death of Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old black teen who was shot and killed while walking through Zimmerman's Sanford, Florida, neighborhood.

Zimmerman says he shot Martin in self-defense during a struggle, but prosecutors say he ignored a 911 dispatcher's advice not to follow the teen.

Zimmerman's wife pleads not guilty on perjury charge

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/13/justice/florida-zimmerman-appeal/index.html

[justashooter 430]

second passport? so he is an immigrant? wonder if the other passport was even current.

OK, which one of you VJ women brought this guy here on a K1?

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Interesting choice of photo to use.

[X Factor 1,110]

After announcing last week that George Zimmerman would seek a “Stand Your Ground” hearing to get the murder charges dismissed in the February shooting death of Trayvon Martin, defense attorney Mark O’Mara said Monday that his client would now be relying on a traditional self-defense argument instead

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/item/12459-zimmerman-will-not-rely-on-%E2%80%9Cstand-your-ground%E2%80%9D-defense-attorney-says

[SMOKE 1,426]

innocent. next case please.

[Harsh_77 716]

This is not even a case.. this was made into case by pressure from Obama administration.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

This was national news long before Obama made one little comment. Pay attention.

Must be pretty easy to live life blaming everything on one person, though. I should try it.

Edited August 14, 2012 by Evylin

[Dan J 277]

innocent. next case please.

Due process sucks, we should try everyone in the court of public opinion regardless of evidence.

[SMOKE 1,426]

This was national news long before Obama made one little comment. Pay attention.

Must be pretty easy to live life blaming everything on one person, though. I should try it.

it works for obama. at least he thinks blaming bush works.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

it works for obama. at least he thinks blaming bush works.

Anyone who thinks this story made news because of Obama isn't paying attention.

Edited August 14, 2012 by Evylin

[SMOKE 1,426]

Due process sucks, we should try everyone in the court of public opinion regardless of evidence.

exactly. zimmerman has been convicted by the media not by the courts.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

VJ: Where everything in America can be blamed on Obama or the media.

[SMOKE 1,426]

Anyone who thinks this story made news because of Obama isn't paying attention.

who said that?..besides you

VJ: Where everything in America can be blamed on Obama or the media.

unless obama decides its bush's fault.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

who said that?..besides you

"This is not even a case.. this was made into case by pressure from Obama administration."

In reality, there was no pressure. This case was making headlines before Obama was ASKED a question about it.

So far today Obama's been blamed for this case and for gun violence in this country. And it's only 2pm! I wonder what else will happen that we can pin on this guy. Or the evil media. Whichever works - bonus points if it's both.

Edited August 14, 2012 by Evylin

[Dan J 277]

exactly. zimmerman has been convicted by the media not by the courts.

You were dismissing the court case before it even concluded.