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'On the Record' legal panel breaks down the second-degree murder case against George Zimmerman
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Deadly shooting of flames of Florida community and the nation tonight at the neighborhood watch -- who shot seventeen year old trade on Martan but claims he did so self defense is is charged with second degree murder.
Special prosecutor making the announcement earlier tonight.
Today we felt.
An information charging -- George -- with murder in the second degree.
I can't -- has been issued for his arrest -- -- confirm that mr.
Zimmerman is indeed in custody.
I will not tell you -- That's -- his safety as well as everyone else's safety.
Was simply wanted -- -- We wanted nothing more nothing less we do -- want -- and RS and we got it.
And I say thank you.
Thank you -- thank you -- -- I think he's troubled by the fact that these state decide to charge him he's concerned about getting me.
Fair trial.
And -- -- presentation.
And a short time ago George Zimmermann was transferred -- county jail and Sanford Florida so what is next for mr.
Zimmerman.
Our legal panel trying to -- defense attorneys Ted Williams and Bernie grammar here and Diana tennis joins us from our land up.
Status -- -- I'd -- Florida -- tell me I give me some of the process laid out what can we expect procedurally.
And what's your speedy trial act in Florida.
The speedy trial will give them six months to try mr.
Zimmerman if he decides not to waive that.
And how the process take longer obviously emerge -- often take a lot longer than six months.
-- you can demand a speedy trial and get it as quickly as sixty days which again would be very unusual.
I'll likely he would qualify for a bond it probably will take a motion being filed -- hearings set up in the next few weeks.
-- I would anticipate -- visited his lawyer pushes for one he probably could get out.
I'd be a little concerned about a safety but hopefully they can set something up that wolf.
Keep him out of harm's way until they get to trial -- a number of months.
-- next procedure next step -- preliminary hearing is that the next this agent's orders had done differently.
You'll have an initial appearance that will happen probably tomorrow.
Or possibly Friday.
Typically not a lot goes on at that point oh the theoretically you can ask for a bomb that usually the bond.
-- go to the actual trial court and what happened there much longer proceeding.
Has a right to a preliminary hearing but again that's not typically.
Taken advantage of here I would think we do bond hearing and then -- -- we had -- discovery which in Florida is wide open.
You get depositions of every single witness you get.
Statements you get kind of an open open discovery process which is quite the advantage for the defense so the defense lawyer Florida.
-- -- -- Unless ever react well -- -- Charl are a great day for 600 fall mother and father -- -- got to tell you Greta as a black man who's followed this case.
It is my firm belief that ever would have been some of my mind Donald bad ground penetrating bomb laden would have been -- and over and we would not have to be here tonight.
That would have actually been an arrest.
That I had not -- Then the rest of the show have been just as a lot faster or out of the united celebrate the police department -- is screwed this case up.
And they may have screwed up to at a point where.
They've now charged with second degree murder and made barrel may not be able to make that case I hope to have the evidence -- -- each of the prosecutors and then bring attention press there's always charge to grandest charts say -- And they may not make murder in the second degree I don't know what the jury decide but this is this -- -- -- lesser included -- -- happened right.
I mean they're always get overcharging.
Sort of give you did the dump truck indictment that's because of the jury compromises.
-- compromise to lesser charge in lesser charge main fact indeed.
He what happened but that -- over charges just to do that.
But I was talking -- before the show I've never had a homicide gaining in 25 years.
Where my client got his gun back and Ted was a homicide detectives Ted how many homicides did you ever investigate they kept that he got the -- rest -- From all of.
Allegations that we've heard is that he got to Don back not only did he didn't give it didn't get -- back but they didn't take his clothes at night.
They give a lot of -- don't come out of there is that a good defense attorney would be able to work -- demonstrating.
Yeah I mean that problem isn't I've watched the other networks is a lot of confusion what self defense is -- the law is is that every person.
Has the right to use their original -- of force in self defense if he actually believes he's in imminent danger of bodily harm.
And if yes reasonable grounds that -- the question is not whether looking back.
Union -- you believe the amount of force is necessary the question is whether -- name and attended dip Zimmerman.
Under the circumstances they appeared to him or her at the time of the incident actually believed he was in imminent danger of bodily harm.
-- could reasonably hold that belief self.
This two meetings act and I -- I keep parent off Florida talk about the stand your ground and part and to me sounds like desert -- your routine.
Self defense that's available on you know in every -- -- across the country only that you simply have different words to describe it in Florida -- everybody is sold -- hung up on as -- is something special about it maybe I'm wrong.
Well Greta this is this is -- much ado about a very narrow point because.
Basically what we've done is we've taken the castle doctrine which is to say when you're in your home and attacked.
You do not have to retreat you don't have to run out the window you don't have to run off -- sliding glass doors you can stand your ground your home.
We've extend about a floor just like many other states have done.
They're basically saying you don't have to run.
If you were being beaten and you reasonably believe that you need to meet this force with what I don't mean viable force.
We -- after I give -- Nike here in the District of Columbia someone's beaten eleven daylight Saturday stressing not to mean if -- can we don't have -- have a legal obligation to run you conduct yourself.
So I I simply don't understand the distinction.
The distinction.
Is it if you're in a situation where you couldn't get away.
Before you should of gotten away and now you can not and cannot turn your back and -- we're not gonna second guess whether you could've gotten away you can stand there and go forward.
Frankly this defense that appears to -- -- -- not be necessarily stay underground it's gonna be I was lying on the ground and getting the Pope tunnel pummeled out of made.
And I grabbed my gun out of desperation.
If that's legitimately the defense it really doesn't have anything to say it -- to do -- stay underground it's this.
Good old fashioned self defense that we would have had pretty remark about law.
But the key here is that -- on -- Also way to detonate this is available bizarre moment he should've been a relevant today as did young child trig born -- I'm -- I'm not since it's a defensive sits about a one here I'm simply trying to understand a lot and I'm not saying that did the dad never heard the facts about.
Yeah -- he -- down and he was pursuing a -- that doesn't happen that's fun about.
Is that it was an act and -- -- Zimmerman -- self defense when he put himself in that situation and everybody said none of -- one don't go there.
-- -- Ted out of north capitol street with a machine gun I can't grab their instead -- the backing claim self defense I put myself in that situation.
So lots of your defense is another thing we could get we could get overly -- And I had some of backwards after anyway.
I'm sure of just fine as simple as that and I Greg what I'm concerned about here is the prosecution in this case is always got to remember in the state applauded.
-- Casey happened in that case and so we know what helping me out.
So what I agree.
I think the one -- -- It's really -- -- -- I talked to those jurors in Casey Anthony and I you know I look they worked really hard -- and -- an -- was very different and I thought they were unfairly indicted almost by the by the let people watch on the sidelines I was not -- not defend those jurors you know it's not about whether we -- their -- -- but anyway I'm taking the last word on that -- -- -- quite often -- said.
Then -- tell -- there's a speedy trial.
I think yeah yeah.
