Zimmerman, 28, is charged with second-degree murder in the Feb. 26 shooting of the 17-year-old Martin. He claims self-defense and has said Martin was the aggressor in their confrontation at a gated community where Martin was staying. Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch volunteer at the community, where he also lived.

The lack of an arrest for 44 days spurred protests nationwide in which participants chanted and held signs that said, “Arrest Zimmerman Now!”

Wearing a charcoal suit, white shirt and gray tie — but also shackled and appearing to have on a bulletproof vest — Zimmerman took the witness stand to deliver a short statement to Martin’s parents, who were there.

“I wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your son. I did not know how old he was. I thought he was a little bit younger than I am. I did not know if he was armed or not,” Zimmerman said in his first public comments about the shooting.

The judge said he would hold another hearing on whether Zimmerman could go out of state if details could not be worked out with law enforcement.

Zimmerman cannot have any firearms, drink alcohol or use illegal drugs and must observe a curfew between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Zimmerman surrendered his passport at the start of the hearing.

Earlier, Zimmerman’s parents and wife testified by phone in the hearing at the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center, saying he is not a flight risk nor a threat to the community. Zimmerman’s family members were testifying by phone because they say they have been threatened.

“He is absolutely not a violent person,” his wife, Shellie Zimmerman, testified.

Zimmerman’s father, George Zimmerman Sr., said that even when confronted his son was likely to “turn the other cheek.” The father also described what he said were his son’s injuries Feb. 27, the morning after Martin was shot and killed.

“His face was swollen quite a bit. He had a protective cover over his nose. His lip was swollen and cut. And there were two vertical gashes on the back of his head,” the elder Zimmerman testified.

Prosecutor Bernardo de la Rionda asked the family members about two incidents. In 2005, George Zimmerman had to take anger management courses after an undercover law enforcement officer accused him of attacking him as he tried to arrest Zimmerman’s friend. In another incident, a girlfriend accused Zimmerman of attacking her. No charges were filed.

Zimmerman asked to meet with Trayvon Martin’s parents before the hearing, but the family’s lawyers said this was not the time.

“We believe (the) Zimmerman request is very self-serving, considering the timing of it 50 days later, right before his bond hearing,” said Justin R. Campbell — an assistant to attorney Benjamin Crump — in an email Thursday.

Legal experts had earlier predicted Zimmerman would likely be granted bail. Key factors include his ties to the local community and that he doesn’t appear to be a flight risk since he turned himself in voluntarily after he was charged last week. He also has never been convicted of a serious crime, which would indicate he doesn’t pose a threat to society.

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Anderson reported from Miami.

Family members of Zimmerman’s are expected to testify by phone at the hearing.

Legal experts say factors in Zimmerman’s favor include that he has ties to the local community and that he doesn’t appear to be a flight risk since he turned in voluntarily after second-degree murder charges were filed against him last week. He also has never been convicted of a crime, which would indicate he doesn’t pose a threat to society.

“Although it’s not routine for people charged with murder to get bond, they do get bond, and I think there is an excellent argument to be made in his specific case for him to be released on bond,” said defense attorney Randy McClean, who practices in Seminole County, about 15 miles northeast of Orlando.

A spokeswoman for special prosecutor Angela Corey’s office said Thursday she wouldn’t comment on whether Corey would object to Zimmerman being released on bond.

Defense attorney Mark O’Mara indicated he would ask that Zimmerman be allowed to leave the area, if he is granted bond, because of concerns about his safety. Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester was assigned the case Wednesday after a previous judge recused herself because of a potential conflict of interest.

“Normally, the conditions are that you stay local. I think that is going to be difficult,” O’Mara said in an interview. “I think nobody would deny the fact that if George Zimmerman were walking down the street today, he would be at risk. That is a reality.”

O’Mara has said he would prefer that Zimmerman be released so he can assist in building a defense case.

The judge would have discretion to allow Zimmerman to live elsewhere along with a number of restrictions such as a curfew, regular reporting requirement and possibly an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet, said Florida International University law professor Joelle Moreno.

O’Mara said he would ask for assistance from law enforcement. Kim Cannaday, a spokeswoman for the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, said she couldn’t comment on what security procedures will be in place for Zimmerman if he is released. The sheriff’s office does have the ability to monitor defendants outside the county if a judge requests a GPS monitor to be used as a condition of release.

Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the 17-year-old Martin’s death during a Feb. 26 confrontation in a Sanford, Fla., gated community. Martin was walking home from a convenience store when Zimmerman spotted him from his truck and called police to report him as suspicious. Zimmerman has claimed self-defense under Florida’s “stand your ground” law, which eliminates a person’s duty to retreat under threat of death or serious injury.

The lack of an arrest for 44 days spurred protests nationwide, several in Seminole County, in which participants chanted and held signs that said, “Arrest Zimmerman Now!” Anger over a delay in Zimmerman’s arrest led to the Sanford police chief stepping down temporarily and the recusal of the prosecutor who normally handles cases out of Sanford. Sanford city officials were holding a town hall meeting Thursday to address some of the residual anger from the case.

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Anderson reported from Miami.

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Zimmerman has several factors in his favor. For one, he has ties to the local community including family members who are expected to testify by telephone on his behalf at Friday’s hearing.

He turned himself in voluntarily after second-degree murder charges were filed against him last week, a good indication that he doesn’t pose a flight risk. He has never been convicted of a crime, which suggests that he doesn’t pose a threat to society, legal experts said.

“It’s hard for a prosecutor to argue he will leave, when up to this point he has been cooperative and everyone knows who he is,” said Stacey Honowitz, a veteran prosecutor in Broward County.

A spokeswoman for special prosecutor Angela Corey’s office said she wouldn’t comment on whether Corey would object to Zimmerman being released on bond.

Zimmerman’s safety weighed on the mind of his defense attorney right after he took on the case last week. Mark O’Mara indicated he would ask that Zimmerman be allowed to leave the area, if he is granted bond, because of those concerns. Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester was assigned the case Wednesday after a previous judge recused herself because of a potential conflict of interest.

“Normally, the conditions are that you stay local. I think that is going to be difficult,” O’Mara said in an interview. “I think nobody would deny the fact that if George Zimmerman were walking down the street today, he would be at risk. That is a reality.”

O’Mara has also said he would prefer that Zimmerman be released so he can assist in building a defense case.

The judge would have discretion to allow Zimmerman to live elsewhere along with a number of restrictions such as a curfew, regular reporting requirement and possibly an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet, said Florida International University law professor Joelle Moreno.

“That would be the kind of low-cost agreement between Zimmerman and the court that might make sense, so we’re not talking about police protection for an extended period of time,” Moreno said.

O’Mara said he would ask for assistance from law enforcement. Kim Cannaday, a spokeswoman for the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, said she couldn’t comment on what security procedures will be in place for Zimmerman if he is released. The sheriff’s office does have the ability to monitor defendants outside the county if a judge requests a GPS monitor to be used as a condition of release.

“I want him to be safe,” O’Mara said. “I want him to get to his trial so that a judge or jury, or the prosecutor and I, can figure out a way to resolve this.”

There is only so much that law enforcement can do to help protect Zimmerman, though, if he is released from jail, said Michael Grieco, a former Miami-Dade County prosecutor who is now in private practice.

“There is no mechanism in which a defendant is entitled to an around-the-clock detail,” Grieco said. “The irony is that the only safe place for him, considering the current atmosphere surrounding the case, is protective custody within the jail system.”

Jail inmates are separated from other inmates when there is a belief they could face threats. Zimmerman has been in protective custody since he entered the Seminole County jail more than a week ago after turning himself into authorities.

Witnesses in cases involving violence or threats are frequently afforded protection, but police officers and prosecutors have no special responsibility to protect Zimmerman once he is out of jail, said Jennifer Zedalis, a University of Florida law professor and former public defender in Gainesville.

“If he gets out, the primary responsibility to protect Zimmerman would be on Zimmerman,” Zedalis said.

Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the 17-year-old Martin’s death during a Feb. 26 confrontation in a Sanford, Fla., gated community. Martin was walking home from a convenience store when Zimmerman spotted him from his truck and called police to report him as suspicious. Zimmerman has claimed self-defense under Florida’s “stand your ground” law, which eliminates a person’s duty to retreat under threat of death or serious injury.

The lack of an arrest for 44 days spurred protests nationwide, several in Seminole County, in which participants chanted and held signs that said, “Arrest Zimmerman Now!” Anger over a delay in Zimmerman’s arrest led to the Sanford police chief stepping down temporarily and the recusal of the prosecutor who normally handles cases out of Sanford. Sanford city officials were holding a town hall meeting Thursday to address some of the residual anger from the case.

Under typical bond conditions, Zimmerman would likely have a curfew, be prohibited from contacting Martin’s family and not be allowed to consume alcohol and nonprescription drugs. He also may be required to wear an electronic monitoring device, which he would most likely have to pay for.

Also Thursday, those representing Trayvon Martin’s parents said Zimmerman requested to meet them.

“There may be a time and place for that but not now,” said Justin R. Campbell — an assistant to attorney Benjamin Crump — in an emailed statement late Thursday night. “We believe (the) Zimmerman request is very self-serving, considering the timing of it 50 days later, right before his bond hearing.”

Campbell said in the statement that Zimmerman never apologized on his Web site or on voicemails that he left friends or expressed remorse during interviews with authorities.

“With Zimmerman now making this request, the family questions his motives and sincerity,” Campbell wrote.

Even if Zimmerman is granted bond, his family may not be able to afford it, given that it generally can range from $10,000 to $100,000 for a second-degree murder charge. Zimmerman’s parents are retired, and their house in Lake Mary, Fla., is valued at just under $120,000, according to the Seminole County Property Appraiser.

“They are not a family of means, so that is going to be difficult,” O’Mara said.

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Anderson reported from Miami.

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The 2005 law is under nationwide scrutiny following the Feb. 26 shooting in Sanford of the unarmed, 17-year-old Martin by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. Martin’s family and supporters want Zimmerman arrested, but police say they were prevented from doing so because of the law. At least 20 other states have similar stand your ground laws.

The task force organizer, state Sen. Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale, said the 7-year-old law has been controversial in past cases and likely will be again long after the Martin case has faded from national attention.

“It did not begin and it will not end with the Trayvon Martin case,” said Smith, a Democrat. “There is a lot of misconception and misunderstanding around the state. It can lead to dangerous incidents.”

The task force — which includes prosecutors, defense attorneys, police executives and politicians — could advocate repeal or specific changes or decide not to make recommendations, Smith said. It’s unclear whether the Republican-controlled Legislature would consider any of its proposals, particularly since GOP Gov. Rick Scott has pledged to appoint his own task force after the Martin investigation is complete.

Scott has appointed a special prosecutor to determine whether to bring charges in the case, which has become a racial flashpoint and led to demonstrations around the country attended by thousands of people. Martin was black and the 28-year-old Zimmerman’s father is white and his mother Hispanic. Zimmerman’s family insists he is not a racist.

The law allows use of deadly force to prevent “imminent death or great bodily harm,” and it removed a person’s duty to retreat in the face of such peril that was required in a previous self-defense law. The change was strongly backed by the National Rifle Association, which has been pushing similar legislation in other states.

In Florida, police on the scene must decide whether there’s sufficient evidence not to make an arrest when a person claims self-defense under the “stand your ground” law, which is why Zimmerman has not been charged in the Martin case. If a person claiming self-defense is charged, there’s a hearing before a judge, not a jury, to decide whether the case goes forward.

Michael Satz, chief prosecutor in Broward County, said most instances cited by the law’s proponents — such as an armed carjacking or home invasion — were covered by older self-defense laws.

“No one is trying to take self-defense away from anyone,” Satz said. “I don’t think it was necessary to pass ‘stand your ground.’”

The panel also heard from a number of citizens on both sides. Supporters generally said it served to protect the innocent from criminal predators.

“You’re never going to legislate bad things away,” said Mike Schlichtig, of Fort Lauderdale. “Don’t take away innocent people’s rights to protect themselves. It is not an excuse to be a vigilante.”

Others, however, said the law was confusing and prone to misuse, particularly because it’s often difficult to sort out the attacker and the potential victim. Prosecutors say this often happens in gang violence, when the facts are murky.

“When does the aggressor turn into the person being threatened?” said Ed Phillips of Pompano Beach.

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Online: http://floridastandyourground.org/

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