George Zimmerman Granted Bail
George Zimmerman, the man accused of shooting and killing 17 year old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida on February 26, has been granted bail by Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester. Bail was set at $150,000. Prosecutors had asked that bail be denied or set as high as $1 million. The prosecution claimed that due to his previous criminal record and violent history he was a threat to the public. The defense wanted the bail set at $15,000.
During the bail hearing, Zimmerman took time to apologize to the parents of Trayvon Martin. He claimed he did not know how old the boy was or that he was unarmed.
ABC News obtained a photo showing Zimmerman’s bloody head following the confrontation with Martin. The prosecution claims to have witnesses that saw Zimmerman chasing Martin down the street towards Martin’s home. The case is likely to hinge upon who initiated the confrontation. If prosecutors prove that Zimmerman instigated the incident, he will likely be found guilty.
Zimmerman has been charged with 2nd degree murder. Many legal analysts were surprised by this. The common thought was that manslaughter charges would be brought up.
Now that Zimmerman has been granted bail, he will likely spend the next few months in isolation as the trial begins. The notoriety of the case makes it unsafe for him to be in public. The case has stirred up a ton of racial tension. There have been public calls by some for violence against Zimmerman. Zimmerman will have to stay at an undisclosed location for his own safety.
Click here to view ABC News’ exclusive photos of George Zimmerman’s bloodied head following the February 26 confrontation.
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The North Mobile Post was founded in April of 2011. The site serves as a blog covering Mobile County as well as news from around the world.
