(CNN) — A judge has ordered the release of additional evidence in the Trayvon Martin case, including an autopsy report, photographs of the crime scene and details of what George Zimmerman said to police the night he shot the Florida teen.
Attorneys for Zimmerman had argued that his conversations with Sanford, Florida, police the night of the February 26 shooting should not be made public under a state law dealing with “the substance of a confession of a person arrested,” but Circuit Judge Kenneth R. Lester Jr. ruled Tuesday that the law did not apply.
“The only element conceded by the defendant is that he shot and killed the victim, but he does not concede any other elements of second-degree murder. … Since the defendant admitted at his bond hearing that he shot the victim, disclosure of those statements will not impact the defendant’s right to a fair trial,” Lester said in a written order. His ruling was in response to media requests for the release of more information in the case.
E-mails to the Sanford Police Department, cell phone records listing dates and times that Zimmerman contacted police and copies of witness statements should be released, Lester said.
But Lester ruled that the court would not release the names and addresses of witnesses before the trial.
“The innocent witnesses who have performed their civil and moral duty by reporting what they observed to law enforcement should not have their lives turned upside-down for having done so,” he said.
Cell phone records not dealing with calls from Zimmerman to police will also remain sealed, he said, as will photographs of Martin’s body after the shooting.
Prosecution and defense lawyers had argued that a host of material should remain sealed.
The intense public attention on the case is a chief reason certain information should remain out of the public eye, prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda said in a motion filed last month.
Releasing too much “will result in this matter being tried in the press rather than in court, and an inability to seat a fair and impartial jury in Seminole County,” he argued. De la Rionda also voiced worries about witnesses being “reluctant to testify” for fear that their privacy would be violated and other witnesses being “harassed by media representatives.”
Documents shed light on Trayvon Martin killing
De la Rionda also requested that the judge seal statements Zimmerman made to law enforcement officers, some of which may be used against him at trial because they were “inconsistent with the physical evidence and statements of witnesses.”
Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Mara, filed his own motion agreeing with the prosecution’s desire not to release material. He said the defense wants 1,000 e-mails received by Sanford police to be sealed, plus statements by Zimmerman.
Scott Ponce of the Miami-based law firm Holland & Knight argued for more disclosure on behalf of various newspapers, TV stations and their parent companies.
“The broad secrecy the state seeks … is not supported by statute, constitution or case law, and it certainly cannot be justified in this prosecution,” he said.
Ponce had argued that civilian witnesses’ names and addresses couldn’t be sealed under Florida’s public records law, because they would not be “defamatory” or “jeopardize the safety” of a witness.
In his six-page order, Lester noted the media scrutiny of the case.
“News stories have been routinely disseminated presenting opinion and rumors as fact. Any person who has logged onto a news website in the last three months has at the least seen a headline relating to the case,” he wrote. “As noted, common sense tells this court that the full disclosure of information, as sought by the media interveners, will irreparably harm the…ability to receive a fair trial.”
Zimmerman, 28, has pleaded not guilty. He has been in custody at the Seminole County’s John E. Polk Correctional Facility since June 3, two days after Lester revoked his bond. A bail hearing is scheduled for June 29.
Zimmerman’s wife was charged with perjury this week for allegedly lying at his bond hearing about the couple’s finances.
Zimmerman’s wife arrested, accused of perjury
Zimmerman’s bail hearing set for June 29
Source: CNN
June 14, 2012 at 10:00 am
Something tells me that Zimmerman will basiclly walk.. Get ready america..
June 14, 2012 at 5:45 pm
…walk straight from his temporary jail cell right into a maximum security prison after he’s convicted and will remain there for at least the next 25+ years.
Where Zimmerman’s going this time his father won’t be able to bail him out with a clean slate and a slap on the wrist, and Zimmerman is not getting any “get out of jail free” cards this time around or any soap on a rope.
Three hots and a cot, and a place to squat is in his future. Better hope he doesn’t drop that soap.
June 21, 2012 at 9:03 pm
I find it curious that George Zimmerman did not appear to have bruises or bandages or serious injuries (according to the camera lighting at the police station), on the night of the murder when he was taped getting out of the police car and walking into the police station [did not look to me he was in a fight or a fair fight]. Now, on a just released tape in which we are encouraged to believe (one or two days after he murdered an unarmed child), he is seen clearly on police camera with bandages on the back of his head and on his face. What happened from the time we Zimmerman saw walk into the police station and one day after the murder when he is walking a police officer through the events that lead to Travon murder on video tape?? For me it is a familiar play. In fact, it would not surprise me if it is later uncovered that the police help concoct the story and inflict the wounds to make the story of self-defense more plausible. Yep. Conspiracy and it would not be the first time. Zimmerman sounded much rehearsed and made sure that the so called injuries sustained would be visible. He appeared very cool, claim and did not seem to feel remorse for taking a human life. In fact, he sounded the same as he did when he was in jail and taped talking to his wife about where to move money that they alleged to the court they did not have.
It is reasonable to view Zimmerman’s statements and the police report questionable. After all, the police claimed that the reason it appeared that Zimmerman had not been injured and showed no signs of a broken noise, scuffle or bloody clothes (hours after the murder) was because the paramedics were able to tend to Zimmerman’s wounds in the police car before he was brought to the police station. Additionally, there is something bizarre about the way Zimmerman describes how he was able to reach his gun in his holster and shoot the unarmed teen. And, the conversation with Travon during the alleged fight to the death did not sound plausible but, but did fit into Zimmerman self-defense claim. In fact, it is more of a conversation that would be in movies or TV or print media dealing with black teens and drugs, saying that the teens dying words were “You got me or something like that” Give me a break!! To me, Zimmerman was bent on making Travon a street thug and not the nice kid that he was. I am willing to bet that Zimmerman felt that Travon did not belong in his community. Do not forget that he stated that young black men were robbing homes in his community (at least two or more). Even though Travon was alone Zimmerman decided that Travon was a thug and had a long criminal history and would not be missed and no one would care, Lastly, I believe that the delay to give notice to Travon father was to get their story straight which included creating a plausible story and having visible wounds on Zimmerman to fit the self-defense story.
June 24, 2012 at 12:32 pm
For every black person murdered by some psycho individual or mob, technology and the ability of the world to hear the victim’s voice makes this a 21st century crime. Whose child will he kill next time if he is set loose with his suspicions and a gun?