Judge: George Zimmerman's New Bond: $1 Million

[Hissyspit]

Source: Reuters / Orlando Sentinel

Judge: George Zimmerman's new bond: $1 million
By Rene Stutzman, Orlando Sentinel

11:33 a.m. EST, July 5, 2012

A Sanford judge today ordered George Zimmerman, the Neighborhood Watch volunteer who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old, released on $1 million bail.

It was not immediately clear how long it would take the 28-year-old Zimmerman to arrange his release.
Defense attorney Mark O'Mara said Friday that Zimmerman's legal defense fund had a balance of $211,000, more than enough to cover the 10-percent non-refundable portion charged by most bonding companies.

That's because Zimmerman's wife had testified under oath that the couple was nearly destitute when bank records show money was pouring in from a support-George-Zimmerman website at the rate of $1,000 a day.

On the day Shellie Zimmerman testified that the couple was broke, she and her husband had access to $130,000, a defense financial expert testified Friday.

Read more: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-07-05/news/os-george-zimmerman-bond-decision-20120705_1_bond-jail-george-zimmerman

[no_hypocrisy]

1. It's not enough.

[kestrel91316]

7. No, it's not. He puts up $100,000 that isn't even money he earned, it's basically

other people's money. Then he takes the rest of the money he's been given and heads for the hills.

I give it about even odds that he flees.

[Scairp]

38. Not even

Five million sounds better to me and no doubt the Martin family wants to see bail set as high as possible, if there has to be an amount set at all. My bet is that he'd never be able to post that amount before he had to go to trial.

[LynneSin]

2. I would have asked for a detailed list of how much money is in that paypal account

And then use that to set the bond.

If they had $211,000 in the paypal account - then set bond at $2,110,000.

That's my 2 cents!

[maddezmom]

3. agreed

[slackmaster]

6. You might want to read the ruling before coming to such a strong conclusion

http://www.scribd.com/doc/99210750/Zimmerman-Bail

ETA the judge's options are constrained by law and precedent, as explained in detail in the ruling. The bottom line is that he is required to grant bond in an amount that the defendant can afford to pay.

[heaven05]

8. fairness??

why should someone give this guy any benefit of doubt, He had the option to wound if he was attacked as he says for no justifiable reason. Yeah, give him fairness! these rulings have no basis in fairness for Trayvon's dead body rotting in the ground.

[slackmaster]

12. The judge's ruling has numerous specific citations of statutes and case law. It's very thorough.

Fairness is not the issue. I doubt that the judge would have granted bond if he didn't believe he had to.

[slackmaster]

18. Your reply is insulting and adds no value to the discussion

The only way justice can be served is for the law to be followed.

I have never defended Zimmerman. I have consistently said his actions were wrong.

[cstanleytech]

21. Explaining why x was done according to the law is not supporting Zimmerman, its supporting the law.

nt

[naaman fletcher]

22. good point

I have spent my life as a liberal arguing for the rule of law and for fair trials for those accused of crimes. But Zimmerman? No way. I am going to throw away everything I believe in and start thinking that anyone who is charged with something should be just locked away and forgotten about. thanks.

[naaman fletcher]

27. Huh?

Your post is 100% pure emotion and wrong assumptions, and lacking in any sense of logic whatsoever.

[slackmaster]

30. Nothing in your post was illegal or has anything to do with due process, bupkus.

The police investigated the scene and gathered a considerable amount of evidence. Back in March and April we had a bunch of people saying the police hadn't done anything and gathered no evidence. That is now clearly not true. They have a bunch of mostly crappy photos, several witness accounts, and reports from police officers and EMTs who will all probably be called to testify. They picked up many pieces of physical evidence - Personal items, blood samples, etc. which may all prove useful in determining the truth.

The Martin family didn't arrange for Zimmerman's arrest. The State Attorney's office did that. Whether or not the media circus that was created by lawyers hired by the Martin family had anything to do with that decision is not certain, and may never be known. If the SA's office was persuaded by public outcry to prosecute the case, they will NEVER admit it.

A whole lot of people have said a lot of things about this case that have turned out not to be true. Only in the controlled process of a trial is there any chance of determining with some degree of certainty what really happened.

Where were you then? Where was your righteous respect for the law then? Where was your demand for justice then?

My position has been very consistent from the beginning. You haven't bothered to check, but I've been posting about this case for longer than you have been participating on these forums. Your insulting reply, once again, adds nothing of value to the discussion. Please try to focus on the subject and not your personal feelings about me.

[heaven05]

34. according to you?

I wonder

[Democat]

40. Who needs laws?

Why even have a trial either? As long as DU says he's guilty, just send him to jail.

[alp227]

5. George can't tell a straight story...

[ilikeitthatway]

9. Why isn't anyone going after this stupid law???!

This is not going to end with George Zimmerman!

[slackmaster]

13. It's very important that criminal defendants be eligible to be granted bond.

It's not a stupid law.

[slackmaster]

19. His bond was revoked for lying to the court

This is a new bond ruling. Read it.

[slackmaster]

31. You are entitled to your opinions, but the judge has to follow the law

Why would I want to read more of this obviously prejudiced judges excuses for releasing this lying murderer?

It's pretty funny that you say that. There are forums where the judge is being criticized for being prejudiced against Zimmerman.

The judge must be doing something right. I hope he continues to make decisions based on the law alone. A mistrial or endless appeals because of sloppy work by the judge would be tragic.

[permatex]

36. So the rule of law means nothing to you

well, I guess thats it, he doesn't deserve a fair hearing, a fair trial, lets just skip the trial and throw him in a deep dark dungeon and throw away the key.
I sure as hell hope nothing like this ever happens to you.

[onehandle]

10. Gun culturists will cover his check easily. nt

[Comet]

11. Too Much

Too high of a bond considering the evidence we have thus far on this case.

Zimmerman's lawyer needs to go ahead and file for a change of venue and get away from this judge and area. He will never receive a fair trial or treatment in Sanford. Too much of a hot-bed at this particular moment in time.

[PSPS]

24. LOL

[JDPriestly]

20. Comet, if Zimmerman's defense were really that clear, he would not have been indicted.

He is under indictment because a trial is needed to determine the facts and apply the law to those facts.

Long way to go yet. We don't really know the facts yet. We have heard Zimmerman's point of view and seen some of the evidence. There is no clarity yet.

[permatex]

37. Thank you

for a sane voice in this mess. Certain posters here would just rather skip the trial and pronounce him guilty and deep six him.
Myself, I'd rather wait for the jury to hear all the evidence and then determine guilt or innocence.

[JDPriestly]

39. Trials sometimes bring surprises. Remember the OJ trial.

[crim son]

23. You have evidence on this case?

Do tell.

[FarPoint]

28. Yea...........

Ahhh... please help me out if you could....what limited evidence do they have on Zimmerman? How did this all go down again? Give me a recap if you please.

[slackmaster]

32. The prosecution is going to have to assemble an account that fits known facts but contradicts...

...Zimmerman's version of what happened.

We know a lot about how the defense is going to explain its side. The prosecution's case isn't clear to me at all.

[barbtries]

14. i like it.

it SHOULD hurt to get out of jail when you're up on murder charges. of course what actually made his bail so high is the fact that he and his wife lied to the judge.

[marble falls]

33. He makes himself look guiltier and guiltier every time he gets listened to.

Million dollar bonds are very serious and they make a statement about what sort of case the gov't will make and the way the bonded look with higher bonds over actual flight risk. He's going away for at least a little while.

[Bucky]

35. Let me take a guess at who'll start a fundraising drive for his bail, now.