Reuters: U.S.: Florida shooter George Zimmerman headed back to jail

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Florida shooter George Zimmerman headed back to jail Jun 3rd 2012, 15:03 George Zimmerman testifies from the stand during a bond hearing on second degree murder charges at the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford, Florida in this file photo taken April 20, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Gary W. Green/POOL/Files By Barbara Liston ORLANDO | Sun Jun 3, 2012 11:03am EDT ORLANDO (Reuters) - George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer charged with second-degree murder in the Florida killing of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, was preparing to turn himself into authorities and return to jail on Sunday, his lawyer said. On Friday a judge revoked Zimmerman's $150,000 bond, posted in April while he was awaiting trial, after prosecutors accused him of withholding one of two valid passports and said his wife did not tell the court about money donated for his legal defense. Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. gave 28-year-old Zimmerman 48 hours to surrender to the Seminole County Sheriff. Zimmerman returned to Central Florida from an undisclosed location, arriving late Saturday evening, his lawyer, Mark O'Mara, announced in an online statement. "The defense team has coordinated with the Sanford Police Department to ensure Mr. Zimmerman's security when he turns himself in before today's 2:30 PM (1830 GMT) deadline," the statement added. His imminent return to jail was the latest twist in a murder case that has riveted the United States and sparked widespread debate over guns, self-defense laws and U.S. race relations. Zimmerman, who has a white father and mother from Peru, is charged with fatally shooting 17-year-old Martin as the teenager walked through a gated community in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando, on February 26. Police initially declined to arrest Zimmerman, citing Florida's "Stand Your Ground" self-defense law, but the special prosecutor who was subsequently appointed charged Zimmerman with murder. Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty and said he fired in self-defense. O'Mara told Reuters after Friday's hearing that he would request another bond hearing after Zimmerman surrenders to authorities. In the latest statement O'Mara said he hoped his client's voluntary surrender "will help demonstrate to the court that he is not a flight risk." "Furthermore, the vast majority of the funds in question are in an independently managed trust, and neither Mr. Zimmerman or his attorneys have direct access to the money," the statement added. It also noted that Zimmerman waived his right to speedy trial on May 8, meaning that he could face a long wait in jail. "It is anticipated, though not certain, that the case will not be ready for trial until some time into 2013." Zimmerman's whereabouts have been unknown since he was released after spending 11 nights in April in the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Seminole County. His lawyer has declined to discuss his location or living arrangements, citing death threats and fears about Zimmerman's security. Prosecutors alleged in court on Friday that his wife knew about donations he had solicited for his defense on a website and collected through a PayPal account but did not mention the money at his bond hearing. "The defendant's wife lied to this court," prosecutor Bernardo de la Rionda told the judge. He was referring to the fact that Zimmerman had received about $200,000 from anonymous donors to fund his defense, even though his defense lawyer had previously described him as penniless. Zimmerman solicited money for his defense through a website, TheRealGeorgeZimmerman.com, that has since been taken down. It has been replaced by a new online site for contributions to Zimmerman's defense called gzdefensefund.com. De La Rionda also told the court that when Zimmerman surrendered his passport to the court at his April 20 bond hearing, he did so knowing that he had a second unexpired passport. (Writing by David Adams and Tom Brown; Editing by Paul Simao) Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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