George Zimmerman Bail Request Delayed
Attorneys for George Zimmerman have delayed filing a motion to request a new bail hearing after a Florida judge revoked the 28-year-old's bond on Friday.
Lead defense attorney Mark O'Mara confirmed that Zimmerman's team decided to delay the motion filing for several reasons but did not elaborate, according to CNN.
"Mr. Zimmerman's legal defense team has decided to delay filing a motion for bond," the defense team said Tuesday on its website. "A hearing will not be scheduled for a couple of weeks, and we will file a motion well in advance of the hearing."
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Seminole County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. ordered Zimmerman to surrender to authorities within 48 hours after it was discovered that he falsely represented his finances and lied about his possession of a second passport. He apparently acquired it just two weeks after the shooting that killed unarmed teen Trayvon Martin, according to ABC News.
During Zimmerman's initial bond hearing in April, he and his wife Shellie informed the courts that they were both financially indigent despite having at least $135,000 in donated funds.
Prosecutors established that the pair had deceived the court after listening to recorded phone conversations between the couple that took place while Zimmerman was still in custody.
The couple reportedly spoke in code throughout their conversations while Zimmerman was incarcerated, with Shellie deceitfully reducing the amounts in their financial accounts by a factor of 1,000.
"When [Zimmerman's] credibility became an issue, defending him became an uphill battle for the defense," a Martin family lawyer, Natalie Jackson said.
"I believe the defense has decided against putting him back on the witness stand until they can craft an honest, but non-harmful to their case, apology to the court," she added.
Attorneys for Zimmerman acknowledge that their client knowingly decided the court but maintain that with other regards he "has been forthright and cooperative."
