Judge Orders Evidence Release in Zimmerman Case After Lies Are Exposed
A Florida judge ruled on Wednesday that statements which George Zimmerman made to detectives after he shot and killed unarmed teen Trayvon Martin can be released to the public.
However, Seminole County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Lester Jr., ordered that the identities of witnesses who observed the fatal shooting in February must remain private, according to CBS News.
"The innocent witnesses who have performed their civic or moral duty by reporting what they observed to law enforcement should not have their lives turned upside-down for having done so," Lester wrote.
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Lester also ruled that tests that were given to Zimmerman after the fatal encounter could be released, along with crime-scene photos and Zimmerman's recorded telephone calls from jail.
Despite arguments that releasing such information could harm Zimmerman's defense, Lester maintained that releasing the 28-year-old's statements to police detectives would not jeopardize his ability to get a fair trial.
It was the very same recorded phone calls between Zimmerman and his wife Shellie which resulted in the self appointed neighborhood watch captain being ordered back to prison earlier this month after posting bail in April.
Lester, who was visibly upset, ordered Zimmerman to surrender to authorities within 48 hours on June 1st after it was discovered that he misrepresented his finances and lied about his possession of a second passport during his initial bond hearing, according to CNN.
Zimmerman, who has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Martin, reportedly acquired it just two weeks after the shooting that killed the unarmed teen.
The phone calls reportedly expose the Zimmermans speaking in code in a bid to conceal their finances, which at the time included well over $100,000 in donated funds.
"It's not again like they were trying to hide the money or leave with the money. They just had it ... and felt like they needed to secure themselves," Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara told ABC News.
As a result of the lies, Zimmerman surrendered to local authorities and remains in prison until his June 29 second bond hearing. Shellie was recently arrested on a perjury charge for her role in the matter.
