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Zimmerman charged with second-degree murder
George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer who says he was acting in self-defense when he fatally shot teenager Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, has been charged with murder in the second degree, special prosecutor Angela Corey told reporters Wednesday.
Read the charges (PDF) | Read Corey's remarks (PDF)
Corey said that Zimmerman has surrendered to authorities in Florida and has been arrested. The charge carries a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.
Police say Zimmerman fatally shot Martin, a 17-year-old African-American, on February 26 in Sanford, Florida, after Martin began walking home from a convenience store. Zimmerman, who is Hispanic and was a neighborhood watch volunteer, had called 911 to complain about a suspicious person in the neighborhood. He was released without charges after claiming self-defense, but the case was referred to Corey for a review as thousands converged on Sanford to join in protests calling for Zimmerman's arrest.
The following are running updates on the story:
[Updated at 7:30 p.m. ET] Zimmerman's new attorney, Mark O'Mara, said that he expects to file a motion seeking bond for Zimmerman on Thursday. Currently, Zimmerman is being held without opportunity for bond.
O'Mara told CNN by phone that he thinks Zimmerman is "troubled by the fact that the state decided to charge him," but that he "understands what is in front of him," and he's "doing OK."
At a news conference outside his office seconds later, O'Mara told reporters that Zimmerman voluntarily surrendered to Florida authorities, and that authorities were in the process of moving him to custody in Seminole County, Florida.
"He's concerned about getting a fair trial and a fair presentation," O'Mara said. "There's obviously been a lot of information flowing. I think a lot of it has been premature and inappropriate."
"The worst thing that can happen in this case is that it doesn't get tried properly," O'Mara said. "Give us our chance to do it the way it's supposed to be done."
On Tuesday, Zimmerman's former attorneys Hal Uhrig and Craig Sonner told reporters they had lost contact with Zimmerman and no longer represent him.
iReport.com: What's your reaction?
[Updated at 7:04 p.m. ET] Sanford's mayor, Jeff Triplett, called "for continued calm in Sanford, its surrounding communities and around the nation."
"The case is in the hands of the justice system. Please allow it to work through the process and come to a natural conclusion," Triplett said in a news conference in Sanford, following Corey's announcement.
[Updated at 6:58 p.m. ET] Martin's father, Tracy Martin, thanked "everyone for being compassionate about this."
"As (Martin's attorney, Benjamin Crump) said, this is just the beginning. We have a long way to go, and we have faith," Tracy Martin said.
Trayvon Martin's parents and their attorneys were at a news conference with the Rev. Al Sharpton in Washington, D.C., where the parents have been visiting an annual conference held by Sharpton's National Action Network.
Tracy Martin spoke of the marches in which people called for justice in the case.
"The first time we marched, I looked to the sky and said, 'I will walk by faith,' Martin recalled. "We will continue to walk by faith. We will continue to hold hands on this journey - white, black, Latino.
"We will march and march and march until the right thing is done."
[Updated at 6:56 p.m. ET] An emotional Sybrina Fulton - who is Martin's mother - reacted to Wednesday's news:
"First of all, I want to say: Thank God. We simply wanted an arrest," she told reporters in Washington, D.C. "We wanted nothing more and nothing less, and we got it. And I say thank you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus."
[Updated at 6:49 p.m. ET] The attorney for Martin's parents, Benjamin Crump, standing with the parents and the Rev. Al Sharpton, told reporters in Washington, D.C., said that if one were to look at the facts and evidence fairly, Zimmerman "had to be arrested, and this matter had to go before a judge and a jury."
"We can take a short breath, because we are just now getting to first base," Crump said. "This is only first base. Trayvon's legacy cannot be tarnished based on people doing sick things and acting (on) ignorance or using violence."
[Updated at 6:42 p.m. ET] The Rev. Al Sharpton, standing with Trayvon Martin's parents at a news conference in Washington, D.C., said "there should be no high-fiving" over Zimmerman's charge.
"There’s no winners here. … This is not about gloating. This is about pursuing justice. We have not won anything. All we have established is we have the right to redress," Sharpton said.
Sharpton said that he believed public pressure didn't lead Corey to file the charges, but he believes public pressure caused Florida's governor and Corey to review the case.
"If we did not get this far, we would condemn them," Sharpton said. "We must say that despite the fact that we are of ... different political persuasions ... we came together and said only the facts should matter."
"We are trying to make sure that something happens so that this will not happen again," Sharpton said.
[Updated at 6:34 p.m. ET] Benjamin Jealous, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, issued a statement following the announcement of charges against Zimmerman:
“Forty–five days after Trayvon Martin’s life came to a violent end, the wheels of justice have finally begun to turn. This is an important first step toward bringing justice for Trayvon and his family," Jealous' statement began.
"As we have seen, the system does not always work perfectly. But we have shown that when we stand together as a nation we can compel it to work. For the NAACP, this case has always been about the rule of law. We are encouraged by today’s charges, but we know that this is just the beginning. We anticipate and expect a thorough federal investigation of the Sanford Police Department and their role in exacerbating this tragedy," Jealous said.
Jealous said "Trayvon’s case moved the nation because it underscored the twin tragedies that affect so many of our young people: Trayvon was profiled because of his race—looked upon as a threat rather than the loving son he was."
"And then, once he became a victim, he was neglected by the very police department tasked with protecting our communities and families," Jealous said. "As a nation, we’ve got to address the issues of racial profiling and the valuation of black mens’ lives by law enforcement. In the months ahead the months ahead, the NAACP and our allies in the civil rights community will continue to take these issues on as well as the urgent need to repeal stand-your-ground laws.
"Tonight our thoughts and prayers are with Trayvon’s family. We are grateful for the courage and tenacity of Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin that continue to help shape a national movement for justice for their son and for all of America’s children.”
[Updated at 6:20 p.m. ET] In Florida, a charge of second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to CNN and HLN legal analysts. Florida does not offer the chance for parole for those convicted of the charge. The sentence would, however, take into account several mitigating and aggregating factors.
[Updated at 6:17 p.m. ET] Zimmerman is being held without opportunity for bail, but Zimmerman's lawyers are entitled to request a bond, Corey said. Once they do so, a bond hearing will be held, she told reporters.
[Updated at 6:16 p.m. ET] While Corey said that Zimmerman surrendered and is in the custody of authorities in Florida, she declined to say exactly where, citing concerns for the safety of Zimmerman "and everyone else."
[Updated at 6:12 p.m. ET] Corey said she wouldn't discuss what led her to file the second-degree murder charge, other than her conclusion is based on her review of the evidence.
Florida state attorney Angela Corey said she spoke with Trayvon Martin's parents before telling the media about the charge against Zimmerman.
[Updated at 6:07 p.m. ET] George Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the February 26 shooting of Trayvon Martin, Corey said.
What happens now that Zimmerman is charged in Trayvon Martin death?
[Updated at 5:51 p.m. ET] George Zimmerman has turned himself in to law enforcement and is in custody in Florida, according to CNN legal analyst Mark NeJame.
Zimmerman also has a new attorney, Mark O'Mara, according to NeJame.
NeJame reported that Zimmerman, before he surrendered, was "out of the state of Florida, as I understand it, for his safety."
On Tuesday, Zimmerman's former attorneys Hal Uhrig and Craig Sonner told reporters they had lost contact with Zimmerman and no longer represent him.
[Updated at 4:55 p.m. ET] Florida Gov. Rick Scott has released a statement ahead of the special prosecutor's news conference:
"We are fortunate in our state that most Floridians and local civic leaders are law-abiding, responsible citizens who all want justice to prevail. No matter what State Attorney (Angela) Corey determines following her investigation of the Trayvon Martin tragedy, I trust in the goodness of all Florida citizens to allow our justice system to reach an appropriate conclusion in this case."
[Updated at 3:34 p.m. ET] The parents of Trayvon Martin plan to hold a news conference after the special prosecutor makes her announcement.
Martin's parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, will be accompanied by their attorneys and the Rev. Al Sharpton in Washington, D.C., where the parents have been visiting a conference held by Sharpton's National Action Network.
[Updated at 3:07 p.m. ET] Many people in Sanford, Florida and around the world have been captivated by the Trayvon Martin case and have lent their support to Martin's family.
Upon hearing the news that special prosecutor Angela Corey was holding a press conference today to update the media, Martin's mother Sybrina Fulton tweeted that the case was in God's hands now.
[tweet https://twitter.com/SybrinaFulton/status/190153784981327872%5D
[Updated at 3:02 p.m. ET] The office of special prosecutor Angela Corey has confirmed that a news conference updating the media on the Trayvon Martin case will begin at the State Attorney’s Office in Jacksonville, Florida at 6 p.m. ET.
[Updated at 2:51 p.m. ET] Corey's office, which is investigating the Trayvon Martin shooting case, said that charges against George Zimmerman have not been filed. The office would not confirm whether the office planned to charge him, according to HLN's Josey Crews.
Earlier, CNN reported that Corey is expected to announce a decision Wednesday regarding whether she will file charges against Zimmerman, and a senior law enforcement source familiar with the Martin death investigation said that Zimmerman would be charged.
[Updated at 2:39 p.m. ET] George Zimmerman “will be (criminally) charged if (he) hasn’t been charged already,” according to a senior law enforcement source familiar with the Trayvon Martin death investigation.
It's not clear what the charges would be.
[Initial post, 2:29 p.m. ET] A special prosecutor in the Trayvon Martin shooting case is expected to announce a decision within the next four hours regarding whether she will file charges against George Zimmerman, CNN reports.
The news comes a day after attorneys for Zimmerman told reporters they had lost contact with Zimmerman and no longer represent him.
Police say Zimmerman fatally shot Martin, a 17-year-old African-American, on February 26 in Sanford, Florida, after Martin began walking home from a convenience store. Zimmerman, who is Hispanic and was a neighborhood watch volunteer, had called 911 to complain about a suspicious person in the neighborhood.
Zimmerman told Sanford police the shooting was self-defense, and Zimmerman was released without charges. Authorities have said Zimmerman was not immediately charged because there were no grounds, at the outset, to disprove his account that he'd acted to protect himself.
But thousands converged on Sanford to join in protests calling for Zimmerman's arrest and criticizing the police department's handling of the case. Martin's death has triggered a nationwide debate about race in America and Florida's "stand your ground" law, which allows people to use deadly force anywhere they feel a reasonable threat of death or serious injury.
soundoff (5,135 Responses)
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Zimmerman is nothing but a BIGOTED PUNK. You don't need a gun to subdue a 12 year old boy. Even if Trayvon had a weapon, he did not need to shoot him dead, you simply take away the weapon... If Zimmerman goes to prison for 6 to 8 years, it still does not compensate for the life of a 12 year old boy... The parents of Trayvon will never see him graduate from High School or College, hold their Grand Children or even listen to his laugh again... I don't think that we will ever know the complete truth about what transpired during the shooting of Trayvon.
12-year-old? Huh?
Ummm. Trayvon was 17.
Well you could possibly be the S t U p I d est person on the face of the Earth...and that is saying a lot!
12 year old boy???
He's not 12, dipstick
The "boy" was a 6-ft. tall, 17-year old who attacked Zimmerman and was bashing his head repeatedly against the sidewalk. I hope Zimmerman is charged with jaywalking and gets a 50 cent fine. As for community service, he already performed it!
Where have you been for the past month and a half? Can you read? Do you know the difference between a 12 year old and a 17 year old? I don't think you do because if you did you would know that Trayvon Martin IS NOT 12 years old. He is 17 years old. Yet another fool swayed by the biased pictures.
Trayvon wasn't 12 my friend; that's just the picture that the media prefers to use. He was 17 and over six feet tall.
Trayvon was 17 not 12. Nice of you to give your input on something you obviously know nothing about...
Trayvon was not 12 at the time of the shooting he was 17.
All these comments are proof that this amounts to no more than a public lynching. We haven't even heard all the facts, but already he is assumed guilty. The only question is how he will legally be charged with a crime. Let's wait to hear the facts.
@Timothy, Trayvon was 17...not 12. Trayvon did not have a weapon (although I could smash a face in with a can of iced tea if I swung hard enough). But fists and concrete are lethal when slammed against your head enough times. Did you actually read up anything on this incident? Or even read this article? Let me guess, you were told about this by an internet meme or maybe some word of mouth. Or maybe you are Trolling. But best to stay off these sites unless you are actually going to read the articles.
Trayvon Martin was 17 not 12...weighing 165 lbs and 6'2"
He wasn't a 12 yr old boy. Get the facts straight before you start mouthing off.
17 year old kid sucker punched and then started to pound an armed man's head into the ground. I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner to this "angel." Charges will be filed to appease the masses, and Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, but nothing will come out of it, FL's Stand your Ground law has Zimmerman rear cover like white on rice on a paper plate in a snowstorm.
Where?! did you read that Trayvon was 12?
read the news.... he was not 12,he was 17, and from what all reports say, Trayvon was the one who initiated the physical altercation.
I'm not choosing sides, but if I had a 6'3 man on me smacking my head into the concrete, I'm not sure I would have reacted any differently. Think about it....................people in Florida obviously live in fear, or the stand your ground law would have never been created.
He was actually 17yrs old, Timothy. And he was unarmed. I agree with everything else you say, though. Justice will come to Zimmerman. One way, or the other.
Trayvon was not 12. He was 17. Read the article. He was also not a boy, he was over 6ft tall.
Good God! Where have you been? The kid wasn't 12, he was 17. I swear! Can anyone on these f'ing boards get their facts straight?
Timothy,
Trayvon wasn't 12, he was 17 and nearly a grown man. Trayvon decided to defend himself against what he felt was a threat and lost his life over it. Fight of Flight, happens everyday. God created man, Samuel Colt made them equal.
lol are you serious? 12 year old boy?
What rock are you living under? He was not 12 he was 17 and 6'3"
umm where are you getting 12 from he was 17
I agree, I think Florida needs to take a look and this law they have. Shouldn't have a gun to patrol a neighborhood. What gives him that authority?
17 Years old per the article...
Trayvon wasn't 12. I believe he was 17. He was unarmed and Zimmerman was told not to follow him or engage him because the police were on the way. Had Zimmerman acted in a reasonable manner and obeyed what the 911 operator told him, this never would have happened.
He wasn't 12.
Dude, Trayvon was not 12. The picture CNN shows him is from when he was around 12.
He was a 17-year-old, gold toothed, gang tatted thug. He was in central Florida because he'd been kicked out of school.
The sad thing in all of this – now that Zimmerman will be charged, his family is going to see that Trayvon Martin's history, current photos, any gang affiliations, etc will be put on blast. That kids entire life is going to be put on trial.
If you don't think a defense attorney is going to portray Martin for the thug he allegedly was, you're sorely mistaken.
Timothy...before you respond, try and get a few fats straight....he was 17 years old, the picture they show on TV shows Trayvon when he was 12.
Yep.. guess it had to happen to keep rioting from erupting in several cities...
Is it still vigilante justice if its a mob that decides that charges need to be brought against the shooter? I say it is still a form of it.
They will still riot. Cause nothing says "sticking it to the man" and signifies the fight against racial injustice like a stolen 50" plasma TV and a case of Old English.
Or, just maybe, it might be that little thing called justice? Just a possibility. If your unarmed child was killed, what would you think of the gunman being arrested 2 months later?
TO THE ANGRY WHITE PEOPLE... WE DON'T CARE IF YOU LIKE US BUT GOD DOES.. AND GOD DOES NOT LIKE UGLY. YOU GUYS MAY HAVE A LITTLE POWER ON EARTH BUT THE GOD IN HEAVEN I RULER OVER ALL AND HE LOOKS OUT FOR RIGHT.
I WANT TO SAY ALOT OF RACIST AND EVIL THINGS BACK TO EACH OF YOU, BUT I'D ONLY BE ACTING AS YOU ARE. MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOULS.. YOU'LL NEED IT
Education equals Equality. But I guess blaming other might work too.
Would if there is no God – you really don't know.
I am glad that you found the Caps Lock key... it really does give more power to your ignorant statement.
The true racists are people like yourself who ignore facts and want "justice" based upon the color of someones skin.
Us white people?... what kind of moronic statement is that?...especially when the prisons are populated with whites, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc....bTW, I'm native American... what's your stance on that one you racist?.
God is not real. No one judges us but each other. Want to know why racism will never die? Because you people will never let it go. Why give up the best excuse for why your culture, families, and neighborhoods are so spectacularly jacked up? Just blame it on the Man....it's easier I suppose.
Your comment indicates you are a racist.
Thanks for stopping by to expose your racism.
Not all "white people" are Angry. Generalizing a whole race of people based on the actions of a few makes you no better.
There are many white people who are happy to hear this news. Maybe you could direct your comment to the angry, stupid people. 🙂
Calm yourself...
Zimmerman is not a WHITE man he is HISPANIC, what happened has nothing to do with WHITES... leave us out of this
That said I beileve if anyone used the stand your ground law it was Trayvon, who could have turned around and attacked someone who was harassing, provoking, and following him!
Zimmerman belongs in jail!
He has NO DEFENSE. He followed a boy after being instructed not to. His aggressive behavior is what caused their clash. Whatever happened, had Zimmerman not followed the boy, NONE of this would have happened...
You are clearly ignorant. Truth be told, Zim deserves to be arrested and tried in court. You must also keep in mind that if you dont want people to think your a thug, dont dress and act like one. Dont have your pants down to your ankles, dont wear prison attire like doo rags or however that crap is spelled.
Fat chance you'll get a conviction. They won't be able to put 12 people on a jury that would convict him of jaywalking.
Nice try dude. But you have NO idea what you're talking about. The prosecutor in this case is no freakin joke. The evidence she has is gonna overwhelmingly convince the jury in this case that Zimmerman's self defense plea is as ridiculous as they come. The forensics as well as other aspects that i won't get into will decide this case. As much as you would lke to see this waste of carbon matter walk, having followed and confronted this kid on the way from the store, trust me when i say: AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN. I have a question for you though: Sanford police have the actual cell phone records of Trayvon Martin indicating that he was actually speaking to someone up to the minute before he was shot. The person on the phone with him was his girlfriend. He told her he was being followed. She advised him to run. He said he would walk fast instead. She said that he eventually did decide to jog, but realized that the person was right behind him. She then heard Trayvon say: Why are you following me? She then heard another male voice ask: Why are you around here? After that she heard what appeared to be the headset he was wearing hitting the ground and some arguing in the background before the line went dead. The feds have already taken her sworn testimony as well as the special prosecutor. Zimmerman's contention that this kid actually followed and attacked him is a total fabrication dude.
This needs to go to a trial and have Zimmerman present his case in court. Unfortunately he will probably be given a free pass – but he has hidden from the light of day too long. Where is his remorse? Even if it was "self defense" like is being claimed – this man took another's life. Why has he been in hiding instead of facing Trayvon's family? They deserve answers. The size of either man has little to do with his argument of self defense – he left his car to follow Trayvon – so if he claims he feared for his life – why did he pursure him in the first place? The one with the gun is alive – that leaves serious doubts in my mind about a case of self defense.
Zimmerman does not need to put on a case. The State of Florida has the burden of proof to show a crime occurred.
Can you kill some unarmed person based on self defence?
With self defense you meet force with force. ie: Zimmerman can only use the amount/same level of force being used against him. It's going to be tough to argue a bigger man (albeit shorter) pulling a gun was meeting the same or lesser force of a teen's fists.
Don't think they will catch Zimmerman. He will probably take the easy way out.
Why would he do that when he will most likely, if charged, win in court? A bit presumptuous aren't you?
I have been worried about the same thing. I hope you're wrong. His supporters will come out for him if he just hangs in there. I'd gladly donate a few hundred dollars to this poor guy's defense fund, as I am sure thousands of others.
I do not condone the shooting of this boy. Nor do I condone the rush to prosecute & condemn George Zimmerman who alleged he acted in self-defense. Although MSNBC only showed it ONCE, I DID see on MSNBCTV a large golf-ball sized bloody knot on the back of GZ's head whent the camera zoomed in on the back of his head. And then they never showed it again. Obviously, this film footage has been suppressed. But then NBC had to fire a produced for chopoing up a recorded dialogue between GZ and the police to make it biased against him.
I have a question: why don't whites rise up in righteous anger every time a black person shoots & kills a white person?
I ABSOLUTELY agree.
Because we don't have to. The always arrest, prosecute, and usually convict the black guy that does, lol. Even I know that much, & I'm white.
maylou, I won't even address your comparison against white/black uprising. If you are unable to understand WHY some African-Americans are so angered by this, then I must say your ignorance is beyond reckoning. HOWEVER, I will say that I would HOPE if my son was acosted by a "stranger" that did NOT identify himself, he would fight for his life. Did Zimmerman have a badge? Security markings on his vehicle? ANYTHING? Did you expect this young man to stand there and wait to figure it out? The bias is blatant, and ridiculous. Get over yourself, and try viewing from the other side of the fence.
Let the clowns and circus begin. Stupid people will stay stupid and most of us that are sane will only be frustrated so I might remove myself from any news related to this mess. I just hope one group of people ( I Mean black) or the other (Not sure) doesn't go crazy and burn half a city down whatever the outcome is. I also hope this doesn't turn into a lynching which I think some of you (black folk) are more than ready to have. Everyone take a breath...not being racist, just stating the facts. If it were clowns or aliens involved in this I would refer to them as aliens or clowns too. God bless the uninformed, the self-righteous and the ignorant...lord knows there's many many of you. I meant that blessing for everyone.
It's a win win situation, zimmerman gets charged but he's no where to be find since the feds put him in the federal witness program, the case will be swept under the rug. Can all you nuthuggers please go back to your worthless existence now?
Hold on people, quit your celebrating. Charges have not been pressed and very well may not. So far throughout this case every early announcement from a reliable source has been wrong. Wait for the D.A. to say it.
At the end of the day this goes deeper than anyone's skin color. It's about a "Human Being" that is now dead and no one being held accountable for it!
It is so sad that there are so many ignorant People in our society!
there goes the rights of the innocent in florida, now they can rob us and scream racism
It is hilarious to see some blaming Pres. Obama for this, like he put the gun in GZs hand, pulled the trigger and did the deed. Some people need to heed the old saying, better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
"He will be charged IF he hasn't been charged already".........sound like a REAL authority on the subject.