The Trayvon Martin case took another turn Friday afternoon. George Zimmerman, the man accused of the second-degree murder of Martin after tracking down and killing the teenager in what he maintains was a case of self-defense, had his bond revoked by Judge Kenneth Lester. The Martin case has become a flashpoint of sorts within the Hip Hop community, since the Florida teen was killed in February.
On April 20, Lester set Zimmerman’s bond at $150,000. At the time, Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Mara, told the court Zimmerman was “from a family of very short means.” However, less than two weeks earlier, Zimmerman had launched a website with a PayPal link and raised more than $200,000.
On Friday, Prosecutors filed a motion to revoke Zimmerman’s bond. Zimmerman was also accused of deceiving the court about his finances, and discussing his finances and his possession of a second passport (which he reportedly acquired two weeks after the shooting) in code words with his wife.
“The court was led to believe that they didn’t have a single penny,” prosecutor Bernie De La Rionda told ABC News. “If this [the money] wasn’t relevant to bond then why did they lie about it? I don’t know what other words to use besides that it was a blatant lie.”
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Accoring to ABC News, recordings of conversations were released that featured Zimmerman and his wife, Shelly, speaking in code and reducing the amounts in their financial accounts by a factor of 1,000. Prosecutors believe the couple knew their jailhouse conversations were likely under surveillance.
Zimmerman now has 24 hours—he was originally given 48 hours starting Friday—to surrender. Since Zimmerman’s attorney previously waived the right to a speedy trial, he may theoretically spend the next one to two years in jail awaiting trial.
“We think what just transpired in the court room was very, very important,” Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump told various sources. “It was at the crux of the matter in the whole case. Judge Lester finding that he was dishonest is very important because his credibility is the most important thing in this entire case.”
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