Zimmerman wants evidence private in Martin case

George Zimmerman appears before Circuit Judge Kenneth R. Lester Jr. during a bond hearing in Sanford, Fla., April 20, 2012. / AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel

(AP) ORLANDO, Fla. - Both sides in the Trayvon Martin murder case want some evidence kept private until trial.

Prosecutors and George Zimmerman's attorneys in motions Thursday asked a judge to keep statements Zimmerman gave detectives and the names and addresses of witnesses from being publicly released. Both items normally would be part of the public record under Florida law.

Prosecutors said some of Zimmerman's statements were inconsistent with physical evidence and statements from other witnesses.

Trayvon Martin shooter George Zimmerman called police lazy and "disgusting," tape reveals

"Defendant has provided law enforcement with numerous statements, some of which are contradictory ..." the prosecution's motion said.

Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara also wants to keep private text messages, emails and journal entries the defendant made, at least until he can review them.

O'Mara said releasing the information would "adversely affect the proper administration of justice in this case, and may make it impossible to find an appropriate jury unaffected by this information."

Prosecutors asked that Martin's cellphone records and crime scene photos of the teen's body not be released publicly.

Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder for fatally shooting the 17-year-old Martin during a confrontation in February at a gated community near Orlando.

Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty and claims self-defense. The lack of an arrest in the case for 44 days spurred an international outcry and protests nationwide.

[CHICO_KK]

My Trayvon Martin gun range targets came today and let tell you all, They are sweet!

[happygirl43]

Last I checked, Zimmerman was NOT an investigator, NOT a process server, NOT a police officer, NOT a reporter. He is a nobody who want to live a dream of being some type of crimefighter. And last I checked, all of the professions you mentioned dont legally follow people at night with a loaded 9mm in thier waistband. Zimmerman is an *******! So there, you have person that not his family member or Fox News viewer who knows that he is not a good guy. If he were a real man and crimefighter he would have just fought the kid, and sat on him until real authorities came since he outweighed him by 100 pounds. When he goes to jail, the boys in the pen will teach him a thing or two. So now you know!

[reality_sanity]

Craig; even the Florida's Republican prosecutor understands a carry permit is not a license to kill..

[rightontarget]

@Craig_

Zimmerman is a Billy Badazz cop wannabe who couldn't cut it on a "real" police force. The only thing he "cared alot about" is his own self-importance. He is a bully, pure and simple. I don't think he intended to kill anybody but his agressive personality and ego issues got in the way. Zimmerman should have let the real cops do their job and stayed out of the way. Mr. "I wanna be a hero" really screwed the pooch this time. That type of person should never be put in any position of authority because it always turns out in disaster. A bully is a bully, period.

[happygirl43]

When Zimmerman spoke at the public forum it wasn't because he cared about a homeless black man it was because he wanted to make him self look important, and he thinks he ia above and smarter than the police. This man has complete disdain for law enforcment. His father has raised him to believe that he is smarter than the cops.

[Tim2710]

It is hard to believe the prosecution's claim that witness accounts and physical evidence contradicting Zimmerman's account is solid evidence of 2nd degree murder.

If that was so, such specifics should have been mentioned in the affidavit charging Zimmerman.

Four witnesses have already changed their statements so that brings reasonable doubt to all their testimony.

Zimmerman passed a lie detection test. Did any of the witnesses take the same test?

[Tim2710]

The prosecution says parts of Zimmerman's statement are contradicted by witnesses. We know that Martin's girlfriend, designated as Dee-Dee, is one who contradicted Zimmerman so she should be a star witness for the prosecution.

The odd thing is that the mainstream press has not analyzed star witness Dee-Dee's two statements even though both were made public.

That's very strange for a case where the media runs story after story about even the most minor thing.

[slownewsday_5000]

by sevenlucky7 May 25, 2012 9:36 AM EDT
Except all the racism is from the black community these days.

----

sevenluck7 is also known as "perish1" from TX. He always talks about racists - but it truly projecting his own.

[smoky853]

Zimmerman's statements etc. should be kept private. He deserves a fair trial. Also the media will only spin it. If Casey Anthony can get a fair trial and an appropriate jury anyone can so O'Mara needs to quit using that as an excuse. By the way I just saw a video of Zimmerman in the police station three days after the shooting. I see a bandage on his head but no bandage on his nose. Where are the black eyes? The media better start enhancing and we will see how many different pictures they can come up with.

[Mickey275]

Something that has bothered me from the beginning in this case, who got to eat the skittles?
Did the police split them up?
Did they give them to George as a reward?
Maybe Trayvon was buried with them.
They should elaborate more about the demise of the notorious skittles!

[skeezix06]

So much for the post-racism statement by Obama. Unfortunately it looks like the racists are still with us.

[skeezix06]

Timeline.
Tulsa, Oklahoma. April 8, 2012

Two white men were arrested on Sunday over shootings in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that left three black men dead and two more critically wounded.

Look it up.

[slownewsday_5000]

sevenlucky7 - you are talking about arrests. you have no clue as to the actual numbers.

It's just like the numbers with domestic abuse - women seemed so innocent in that arena until researchers started looking at emergency-room visits by shamed guys whose wives had beaten them, rather than police reports.

[Mikado_Cat]

Trayvon profiled Zimmerman staring him down while walking past his truck, decided he was a harmless little whimp scared in his truck, then ran when he saw he was on the phone. If Zimmerman had been a larger person, a fighter with muscles, Trayvon would have walked straight home, followed or not.

Its pure Crump fantasy that Zimmerman would approach the larger and aggressive acting youth that just scared him in his truck. Zimmerman is afraid of him, and knows he has no fighting skill.

Trayvon runs farther during Zimmerman's call to the dispatcher than the location where he assaults Zimmerman, Trayvon has to come back towards Zimmermans truck and away from the location of Brandy's condo to return to that area. Trayvon clearly approaches Zimmerman from behind and assaults him, not from fear or defending himself, but anger from the smaller man daring to try and watch him, he sees Zimmerman is no fighter, which the beating bears out until the tragic end.

[occupy_cbs]

You have quite a vivid imagination full of speculation and conjecture.

[democracy8]

Nice try. First of all, Zimmerman was not "smaller", per se. Shorter, yes, but he outweighed Martin by at least 50 lbs.