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August 13, 2012 3:22 PM

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George Zimmerman living "as a hermit," as his attorney appeals judge's decision to stay on Trayvon Martin case

By: Julia Dahl
Topics: Daily Blotter

George Zimmerman attends a court bond hearing in Sanford, Fla., June 29, 2012.

/ CBS

(CBS) NEW YORK - George Zimmerman's attorney told reporters Monday that his client was "not doing well" and that he will appeal the decision by Judge Kenneth J. Lester, Jr. to stay on the Trayvon Martin case.

Pictures: Trayvon Martin shooting

"He really has to live as a hermit," O'Mara said of Zimmerman. "He carries with him a deep-rooted fear," stemming from threats he received in the aftermath of the shooting of the unarmed teen.

Mark O'Mara filed a motion in July asking the judge to step down, but on Aug. 1, the motion was denied. The judge ruled that O'Mara's motion was "legally insufficient."

O'Mara also said Monday that his client engaged in "traditional self defense" when he shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on February 26 in a gated community in Sanford, Fla., and that he will ask the judge to grant him immunity under the state's self-defense statute.

"We need to figure out what happened that night, and it seems to have boiled down to, Did George act reasonably to protect himself from great bodily harm?" O'Mara said.

Meanwhile, O'Mara told reporters he has not been paid any money so far for his work defending Zimmerman.

Complete coverage of the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin case on Crimesider

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Trayvon Martin shooting

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by Cindy_Tregan August 15, 2012 11:23 AM EDT

Poor, Poor Zimmy-the-Murderer. Living like a hermit.

At least he is LIVING. Travon Martin isn't - thanks to Zimmy-the-Murderer.

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by ahendryx819 August 16, 2012 11:51 AM EDT: Yeah, Beaner, well where is the evidence that Trayvon assaulted Zimmerman first? I'm still waiting on that, as I have been. Because there IS evidence that he knew he was being followed, and that he asked Zimmerman what his problem was. But no evidence to support Zimmerman's claim that Trayvon attacked him first.


by flynaround August 14, 2012 1:52 PM EDT: Geez George, what a heartbreaking tale of woe.; Reply to this comment


by flynaround August 14, 2012 1:50 PM EDT: Geez George, what a heartbreaking tale of woe.; Reply to this comment


by Mick_from_Amsterdam August 14, 2012 1:17 AM EDT: Not to worry George...soon enough now, you'll be able to stop living like a hermit...

And begin to live in close proximity to many men who also have anger-management issues and delusions of badness...

Stand THAT ground George...

And LEARN!; Reply to this comment


by erasmus111 August 13, 2012 6:56 PM EDT: Oh, BOO HOO!; Reply to this comment


by DevoutPlayerhater August 13, 2012 4:48 PM EDT: I am conviced that Mark O'Mara is MONEY hungry. He knows that it costs a WHOLE lot of money to file an appeal because there is a lot involved in appellate work. First, you have to file a timely notice of appeal, then you have to wait months before the appellate court issue a briefing schedule; then after the briefs from both sides are filed and any reply, it will take months before the appellate court render a decision on the sole issue: whether or not Judge Lester abused his discretion in denying Zimmerman's motion for recusal. Under the fats of the case, it can hardly be said that Judge Lester abused his discretion in denying Zimmerman's motion because not only was it legally insufficient but it also was wholly without merit. Zimmerman is the one that perpetrated a fraud upon the court and that issue was squarely before Judge Lester at his second bond hearing. O'Mara chose, for whatever reason to argue that Zimmerman acted in self-defense during that hearing but he put forth no evidence whatsoever to support such. Judge Lester acted within the bounds of the law when he addressed the issues Zimmerman raised at the second bond hearing, and the fact that he did so very sternly, does not entitle Zimmerman to ask for a recusal. In fact, this was Zimmerman's SECOND such motion for recusal and it was in essence a SUCCESSIVE motion, and Judge Lester could have also denied the motion on that basis although he reserved ruling on that issue. Bottom line is a Defendant does not have a constitutional right to request a new trial judge simply because he do not like the way a Judge ruled on a particular issue or the way a Judge wrote his opinion on the issue. If that were the case all criminal defendants would use the recusal mechanism as a vehicle to manipulate the judicial system just as Zimmerman has done from the inception of his criminal prosecution.

Because Judge Lester DID NOT abuse his discretion in denying Zimmerman's motion for recusal, the appellate court will affirm Judge Lester's ruling, and so, Zimmerman will be stuck with Judge Lester. Ironically, Zimmerman did not have a complaint about Judge Lester when he granted him bail his first go around, and in fact, gave him so many extra perks with his bail that normally other criminal defendants do not enjoy. For example, Judge Lester gave Zimmerman a $150,000 bond when Zimmerman was not otherwise entitled to it because of his financial status he deliberately withheld from the Court. And misled the Judege about having only one valid passport. Judge Lester allowed Zimmerman to go into hiding out of the State of Florida pending trial and a whole bunch of other perks.

Now that Zimmerman's fraud has been exposed, he wishes to have a new judge preside of his case. That's non-sense. Zimmerman chose to perpetrate a fraud on the Court and cannot be heard to complain about impartiality. There has been nothing shown, other than Zimmerman's self-serving statements that raises questions about impartiality.; Reply to this comment


by ahendryx819 August 13, 2012 4:46 PM EDT: First of all, why is this news. The Zimmermans have been throwing pity-parties since this started.

Second, why does Judge Lester's refusal to step down have anything to do with it. It's not his fault Zimmerman is "living like a hermit." He gave him not one but 2 bail hearings, and he let him out. If Zimmerman is so scared for his life, maybe he should have just stayed in jail. Judge Lester has been more than fair, though, and I see no grounds for trying to make him step down from this case.; Reply to this comment

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