George Zimmerman's release could be imminent

(CBS News) SANFORD, Fla. -- George Zimmerman was granted bond of $150,000 Friday in the death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman is charged with second degree murder.

Zimmerman was granted bond at a hearing Friday because Seminole County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Lester was persuaded he was not a flight risk and, despite Zimmerman's killing of Martin, believed he posed no threat to his community.

Lawyers were working out the conditions and security restrictions of Zimmerman's release Saturday, as well as the precautions for his safety. It's possible he could stay outside Florida while awaiting trial. And it's all but certain his location will be kept secret.

He's expected to post bond and leave jail sometime this weekend.

Zimmerman surprised the courtroom Friday -- especially Trayvon Martin's parents -- when he walked to the stand in shackles to apologize for shooting the unarmed teenager.

Complete coverage: The shooting of Trayvon Martin

"I wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your son," Zimmerman stated. "I didn't know his age. I thought he was a little bit younger than I am. I did not know whether he was armed or not."

A lawyer for Trayvon Martin's family, Benjamin Crump, told "CBS This Morning: Saturday" co-hosts Jeff Glor and Rebecca Jarvis the family is "very disheartened" at the prospect of Zimmerman getting out of jail. He says they found Zimmerman's apology "very insincere" and "self-serving," and they suspect it came with "ulterior motives." Before the family accepts any apology, Crump says, Zimmerman has to tell the truth about what happened when he shot Trayvon because, they feel, he's given numerous different accounts so far. Click below to see the interview:

Zimmerman's lawyer, Mark O'Mara, grilled a state investigator on the stand.

Dan Gilbreath admitted under oath that prosecutors had many questions about the shooting they could not answer.

"Any evidence that conflicts, eyewitnesses anything, that conflicts with the contention that Mr. Martin assaulted first?" O'Mara asked.

"As to who threw the first blow? No," Gilbreath responded.

"Do you know who started the fight?"

"Do I know? No."

"Do you have any evidence that supports who may have started the fight?"

"No."

Martin's parents left the hearing without comment, unhappy with Zimmerman's bond and with his apology.

Martin family attorney Natalie Jackson told reporters, "This was the most disingenuous and unfair thing I've seen this was the most unmeaningful apology."

O'Mara insisted to reporters that Zimmerman "had always wanted to acknowledge what happened that day. ... I was hoping it could be accomplished in a private way. We weren't afforded that opportunity."

Wherever he goes, Zimmerman has to meet certain restrictions: No alcohol, no drugs, no guns. A curfew. A GPS ankle monitor. And no contact with Trayvon Martin's family.

To see Mark Strassmann's full report, click on the video in the player above.

[earlcrump]

OK..... Imma take the high road and give my comments, so here you go... I got it... My police training has paid off once again...... And thanks you USAF for given me the knowledge..... Now As for the Zimmerman case, given my experience as a USAF Security Police, a card-carrying CCW holder and advocate of handguns, I believe that what happened here was that George had a bit of that "liquid courage" before the confrontation took place, and the reason why he did not turn around as was suggested to him, and declined medical attention was that he knew that if alcohol was found in his system that he'd surely go jail then. Since he was able to convince the Sanford Po Po that he wasn't under the influ, he walked..... Even as a 52 yo black man in Fla would I have gotten away with that? Not a CHANCE!!!! Taking race out of this, he's as guilty as OJ!!!

[reality_sanity]

by Zimbo_Wiz April 21, 2012 10:43 AM EDT
... but the Democrat run state government refuses to allow innocent people to defend themselves.

___

Wiz; It was a REPUBLICAN governor (FLA) that appointed a REPUBLICAN special prosecutor (FLA) to oversee this case. It was a REPUBLICAN author of Florida's SYG law that claimed pursuit negated self-defense. Where are the Democrats involved in the issue in Sanford Florida?

[reality_sanity]

by Harry1899 April 21, 2012 11:34 AM EDT
Martin was 6'3" tall and wearing a hoodie.

-----------

Is your argument that anyone by default has a self-defense claim for using lethal force against because they fear anyone taller than they are or anyone wearing a hoodie? Because I can guarantee you no law in this country supports such a claim.

[reality_sanity]

by rojego April 21, 2012 11:49 AM EDT
... O'Mara should have presented enough evidence to document absolute self defense then motioned for dismissal. ...

----

It would appear since your choice of tactics was not utilized by the defense that the defense attorneys lack the PROOF of self-defense you claim is so obvious.

[reality_sanity]

by technocoffee April 21, 2012 9:33 AM EDT
Hope he lives while out on parole due to the racist White-hating frenzy whipped up by the Black Panthers, Al Sharpton & Jessie Jackson. Meanwhile, no one is calling for a bounty or riots against black people in Houston, since a black nurse there killed a white woman for her baby....

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Why does it appear the WHITE supporters of George are so intent on propagating the fabrication about a bounty. The offer was retracted, apologized for and repudiated by many; yet posters like this continue to report what are now fabrications. You, technocoffee, are a greater threat to George's life than the New Black Panthers ever were.

[reality_sanity]

Also note the Houston police arrested and charged the shooter; unlike the police in Sanford Florida who required weeks to dump Trayvon's phone logs and find witnesses. It will be interesting to see how many additional witnesses the new prosecutor and her investigators located.

[adeatmon]

George, the next step if you come clear of this is to go and sue Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpen & anyone else connected to bringing this to trial so next time they will think twice about going after someone who was only trying to do what he had to do in self defense. I don't care if your black, red, yellow or white, we have the right to defend ourselves.Jessie Jackson & Al Sharpen only was wanting to make money off the situation and the parents of Trayvon did not see through it.

[reality_sanity]

To prove defamation George has the higher burden of proof that in fact HE WAS INNOCENT not just that there is insufficient evidence to prove his guilt. Talk about an impossible case.

[Harry1899]

That was a huge day for Zimmerman's defense team. His lawyer has now gotten a key witness for the prosecution to admit that he doesn't have one scintilla of evidence to dispute Zimmerman's version of events. I'm looking forward to the day that George Zimmerman can walk out of court head held high. The two weeks that he spent in jail were a travesty of justice.

[OyVeyOyVey]

So true Harry! I fully expect Judge Lester to dismiss all charges at the preliminary hearing!

[reality_sanity]

The defense attorneys need to make a motion to drop all charges for that to be considered. As of yet that request has not been filed by the DEFENSE. Apparently that slam dunk you expect is not going to happen. Apparently even the defense knows there are some problems they need to overcome.

[smoky853]

Zimmerman lie. Zimmerman stated. "I didn't know his age. I thought he was a little bit younger than I am." From 911 tape. Dispatcher: "How old would you say he looks?" Zimmerman: "Late teens" Dispatcher: "Late teens OK"

[Harry1899]

Martin was 6'3" tall and wearing a hoodie. This testimony is entirely probable. The liberal media did their best in the beginning to promote the narrative that Martin was a 12 year-old kid merely walking home with Skittles and Arizona ice tea. Now some of the true facts are starting to come to light.

[OyVeyOyVey]

THANK YOU both Harry and Zimbo for pointing those facts out here!

[yankhadenuf]

Very difficult to see the photo of Trayvon's family witness this self-serving "apology". Sharper ears than mine have caught a lie of Zimmerman's on that stand. Notice that he states he thought that Trayvon was closer to his age, when he made it clear to the police dispatcher that Trayvon was in his teens!

[reality_sanity]

Age is very relevant unless you argue that shooting minors legally disqualified from carrying a weapon was the intention of the SYG law in Florida.

[OyVeyOyVey]

OH! I see, so if they are under a certain minimum age, one is compelled to lay there quietly passively with both arms down limp at your sides. Allow them to bounce your coconut off a CONCRETE sidewalk until you are dead? Please pray tell what might this minimum age be???

[johnniewinesap]

it would be nice if the martin's would let the courts sort this out in the legal manner Americans use but that isn't going to happen and the the martin's won't be happy till zimmerman is hanging from a tree. now you can bet you sweet ass if the situation were reversed the martin's would be using the "race card". so much for equality between the races.
the blacks are such hypocrites, and that is why they will never have equality. they think they are entitled to special treatment and that is not the case were equality is concerned. equal means the same(for all) to bad they don't understand the meaning of the word.

[yankhadenuf]

The Martins are known worldwide as universal parents, that anyone's child in the world could be Trayvon stalked and killed by an armed stranger who happens to also be a "neighbor". The reason why this case has captured international attention is not just because of the innocence of Trayvon, but because of the grace and dignity of his family

[OyVeyOyVey]

Three Cheers for Johnnie for telling it exactly like it be!!!