Zimmerman will ask state to cover $200K-$300K of his legal bills

Locutus

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Jun 18, 2007
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George Zimmerman, the Neighborhood Watch volunteer who killed Trayvon Martin, plans to ask the state of Florida to cover $200,000 to $300,000 of his legal expenses, his attorney told the Orlando Sentinel Monday evening.

Because Zimmerman was acquitted, state law requires Florida to pay all his legal costs, minus the biggest one: the fee that goes to his lawyers.

That includes the cost of expert witnesses, travel, depositions, photocopies, even that animated 3-D video that defense attorneys showed jurors during closing argument that depicts Trayvon punching Zimmerman.

Defense attorney Mark O'Mara said Monday that he would soon prepare a motion, asking Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson to authorize the payments.

That motion, he said, "is in the works."

His office is still collecting numbers, he said, but he estimated the request would total $200,000 to $300,000.

That would be on top of the estimated $902,000 that public agencies already have spent on Zimmerman's five-week second-degree murder trial that ended July 13.


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O'Mara: George Zimmerman will ask state to cover $200K-$300K of his legal bills - OrlandoSentinel.com
 

Tecumsehsbones

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 18, 2013
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Oddly, I remember a while back we had a thread about the Crown or the state reimbursing defendants found not guilty for their losses in being charged and tried. Most folk thought it was a pretty good idea.
 

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
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They charged him and found him not guilty. They should pay. Anyone who is found not guilty shouldn't have to pay a dime for their defence. They did nothing wrong after all.
 

Retired_Can_Soldier

The End of the Dog is Coming!
Mar 19, 2006
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Did he go on trial for something that didn't happen?

Nope. He was railroaded and thankfully common sense prevailed. Maybe that is not your opinion, but that is what happened and as a result of an overzealous prosecution that withheld evidence and charged him for political expediency he has endured great debt and hardship including having had his family put in harms way. Not only should they pay his legal costs, but they should be sued for defamation and reckless endangerment.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
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So lets get this straight. He never killed anybody and it was all made up to railroad him? Everybody who is acquitted can apply to have their defense costs refunded or just ones railroaded for killing imaginary people created by Obama?
 

Colpy

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Nov 5, 2005
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So lets get this straight. He never killed anybody and it was all made up to railroad him? Everybody who is acquitted can apply to have their defense costs refunded or just ones railroaded for killing imaginary people created by Obama?

He killed Trayvon Martin, but it was in self-defense, so no crime was commited.

The trial was an attempt to railroad him, the charges were brought only after the political pressure brought to bear by race baiters Sharpton and Jackson. The DA's office had refused initially to press charges, as it was obviously self-defense.

The law in Florida allows for defense cost refunds when the accused is found not guilty.