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View Full Version : Zimmerman's bail set at $1M in Trayvon Martin case



jimnyc
07-05-2012, 03:55 PM
Round 2 for Zimmerman getting out on bail, as soon as $100k is posted.


ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A Florida judge ruled Thursday that George Zimmerman can be released from jail a second time on $1 million bond, saying he set the bail amount significantly higher because Zimmerman may have been hiding money as part of a plot to flee the country.

Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester had revoked Zimmerman's $150,000 bond last month after prosecutors told the judge Zimmerman and his wife misled the court about how much money they had during an April bond hearing. Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

"It is entirely reasonable for this court to find that, but for the requirement that he be placed on electronic monitoring, the defendant and his wife would have fled the United States with at least $130,000 of other people's money," Lester wrote.

Prosecutors said a website Zimmerman created for his legal defense had raised $135,000 at the time of his first bond hearing. Zimmerman and his wife did not mention the money then, and Shellie Zimmerman even said the couple had limited resources because she was a student and he wasn't working.

The judge made his decision after listening last week to Zimmerman's attorney and a forensic financial analyst explain why he wasn't more forthcoming.

http://news.yahoo.com/zimmermans-bail-set-1m-trayvon-martin-case-154722524.html

CockySOB
07-05-2012, 11:05 PM
Jeralyn Merritt at TalkLeft.com (http://www.talkleft.com/) has been following the Zimmerman case (http://www.talkleft.com/tag/George%20Zimmerman) pretty closely, and seems to have some of the best links to source material around. She just put up a limited forum (http://forums.talkleft.com/) which categorizes that source material as well as provides some avenue for discussion.

I point this out for those who might want more source material than they might otherwise have access to. I'd post what I find interesting but my online time is going to be sparse for a bit, and I wanted to share the source with y'all.

From what I can tell, it sounds like Judge Lester is a bit touchy about the whole wife-moving-funds-received-from-internet thing and is holding George liable for the actions of his wife (who is charged with perjury.) OK, not touchy but pissed off about it all. The fact that Lester felt compelled to allow George Zimmerman out on bail (again) goes to show that the prosecution doesn't have a slam-funk against Zimmerman, or that their case is very strong despite being characterized as such by Judge Lester's words in the ruling. The state may still have enough of a compelling case to take to a jury, but I somehow think this may be Judge Lester's way of covering his ass when the case gets dismissed down the road for lack of evidence.

Nell's Room
07-05-2012, 11:35 PM
So the bond is set at one million, but if he pays one hundred thousand, he can get out? That makes no sense at all.

CockySOB
07-06-2012, 08:12 AM
So the bond is set at one million, but if he pays one hundred thousand, he can get out? That makes no sense at all.

US$100,000 cash bond plus US$900,000 collateral for a total bond of US$1,000,000

Bail bonds companies negotiate with clients to provide the collateral and/or cash for bond.

At least that is my understanding of it.

jimnyc
07-06-2012, 08:22 AM
So the bond is set at one million, but if he pays one hundred thousand, he can get out? That makes no sense at all.

Sure it does. Sometimes the courts allow a 10% cash option. The defendant pays that portion while a bond is given for the remaining.