SANFORD, Fla. – The attorney for George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman charged with shooting and killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, said he is delaying the filing of a motion asking for a second bond hearing for his client.
Attorney Mark O'Mara said originally he would file the motion on Monday. O'Mara posted a statement on his defense website, GZLegalCase.com, on Tuesday saying "Mr. Zimmerman's legal defense team has decided to delay filing a motion for bond. A hearing will not be scheduled for a couple of weeks, and we will file a the motion well in advance of the hearing."
Court officials told Local 6 on Monday that no hearings will be scheduled in Judge Kenneth Lester's division this week, because of a "planned absence." O'Mara told Local 6 the primary reason he isn't filing the motion is that there are no compatible times on the court, state and his calendars in the coming weeks.
Local 6 legal analyst Luis Calderon said he believes there are a lot of other things that factored into the decision as well.
"He really doesn't have much to gain by filing got to reinstate Monday," Calderon said. "I think there's way more potential pitfalls than the likelihood of a bond being reinstated."
Among the pitfalls could be testimony from Zimmerman or his wife, Shellie, could subject them to prosecution, if they intentionally worked to conceal material evidence at the hearing in April.
"In essence, she may come to a situation where she would be required to plead the Fifth (Amendment) to avoid self incrimination and in doing so would it really help him or benefit him in getting bond," Calderon said.
Zimmerman arrived at the Seminole County jail in a white van about 1:45 p.m. Sunday after Judge Kenneth Lester revoked his bond two days earlier at a hearing concerning the release of more evidence. Under Lester's ruling, Zimmerman had to turn himself in by Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
O'Mara said he knows Lester is unhappy with Zimmerman, as indicated at the evidence hearing on Friday, where Lester found that Zimmerman misled the court on his finances during a bail hearing that allowed his release on $150,000 bond. O'Mara said several days later that he had discovered his client had raised more than $200,000 from a website, with $135,000 available -- but that wasn't disclosed at the bond hearing.
On Tuesday, jail officials released Zimmerman's purchase list from the jail, including junk food, candy, iced tea and greeting cards that contain phrases "missing you," "thinking of you" and "with love." He has spent $98.90 at the jail commissary, with a balance on his account of $395.10.
Watch Local 6 for more on this story.