*A judge ruled on Friday that attorneys for George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch leader charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, is allowed access to the late teen’s school records and social media accounts, reports NBC News.
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Circuit Judge Debra Nelson, who is the new presiding judge in this highly publicized and emotional case, said that Zimmerman’s attorneys can subpoena Trayvon Martin’s schools for his discipline records but must keep anything they obtain private.
“I think that you’re entitled to those records,” Nelson said during the hearing at the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford, Fla.
The judge also granted Zimmerman’s request to subpoena Trayvon’s social media records, which were removed from the Internet after his death, as well as those of a girl who says she was on the phone with him before the shooting.
Before the proceedings started, Martin’s family held a news conference that took a preemptive strike against the subpoena of those records.
“We think it’s a terrible precedent to set,” said attorney Ben Crump, who held a press conference with Trayvon Martin’s parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton. “Why is it relevant about his school records or his Facebook page? George Zimmerman knew none of that on Feb. 26 when he claimed Trayvon’s life.”
The shooting took place when Zimmerman encountered Martin, 17, who was unarmed and walking through the Sanford neighborhood where his father lives.
Zimmerman, 29, has pleaded not guilty and is set to face trial June 10, 2013. He remains out on bail and is in seclusion.
Zimmerman appeared in court wearing a suit and tie, and he sat quietly while his attorney Mark O’Mara made his case for access to the records.
O’Mara said the defense wants the Twitter and Facebook accounts “in their entirety” of Martin as well as a witness — a girl who was on the phone with him when he encountered Zimmerman. The girl was not named because she is a juvenile.
O’Mara conceded that it “sounds horrible” to evaluate the reputation of the shooting victim, but he said that the records were crucial to showing that his client did not act with “ill will or hatred” of Martin.
“The issue in this case is who did what during those couple of minutes that we don’t know what happened,” O’Mara said.
Zimmerman maintains that Martin attacked him and beat him.
O’Mara told the judge that although the Facebook and Twitter accounts had been removed from the Internet, he has been able to access — though not authenticate — enough of the social media accounts to demonstrate that “that information could be very, very relevant to my defense.”
Crump, the attorney for Martin’s family, said that if the court calls for the release of Martin’s school records and social media postings, the family would demand the release of Zimmerman’s medical records, which he argued were far more relevant to finding out what happened on the night of Martin’s killing.
“If this was your child who was shot and killed, wouldn’t you want to know … if there were drugs that influenced (the shooter’s) judgment or decision making?” he said.
On Friday, Judge Nelson did grant a prosecution request for Zimmerman’s medical records, though she said she will review the medical records first to decide whether anything should be withheld.
This was the first hearing in the highly publicized case to come before Nelson, who replaced the previous judge, Kenneth Lester, in August after a judicial panel found that Lester had begun to form opinions about Zimmerman that could affect his impartiality.
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What does access to Trayvon’s school records and email etc and any discipline problems( if any) have ot do with the killing of thsi young man??? Zimmerman and hsi attorney are looking for any loophole to get off by a technicality. I hope Trayvon’s parents could prevent them access to his records.
This such bullsh*t! This has nothing to do with Travoyn getting shot down (murdered) by that low life piece of scum Zimmerman?!
The real sad part about this, is his family and most normal people know Zimmerman killed this kid in a racist unprovoked attack and it doesn’t take rocket science to figure out how the out come will end up…SMH
Babycakes…. It’s have NOTHING to do with Zimmerman Murdering Trayson…. You are right His lawyers just wants the jury to think this young black man was nothing but, trouble with a capital T. They’ve wants to protray Trayson in a negative way. They’ve playing the race card…… That ALL young black men’s are either drug dealers, robber, theives, they’ve going to made it seem Zimmerman was afraid for his life……..
Lest anyone think Florida is not really part of the south. Yeah right. This is the same state that has allowed that school board to approve RACE-BASED metrics for its students–not competency-based–RACE-BASED. Unbelievable.
My question on this case is why was the other judge removed? And how did they go about choosing this judge? This young man’s school records don’t have a damn thing to do with anything. As the parents stated, this racist pri ck didn’t know the boy’s school record before he stalked and murdered him. Just wow.
The REAL question eeaah?, WTF are our “leaders” to fight this BS! See?, ….they ONLY come out when the situation is beneficial for THEM, & the issue is something “WE” have brought to the forefront! They NEVVA do aaaaaanythaaang to make “massa” uncomfortable!!! Proving that they are ALL “in”…massa’s back pocket!!!!! Fkn sad!!!
The issue in this case is who did what during those couple of minutes that we don’t know what happened,” O’Mara said.
Are you serious we already KNOW what happened . Trayvon Martin is dead. First Zimmerman lied to the court about the money he had. Then he went judge shopping to get another judge he found more favorable and they let that crap slide now he is going “blame the victim” shopping and it seems they are going to let him get away with this shigity too! I guess next they will be jury shopping and of course this will be in his favor. This is such a load of crap it ain’t even funny! Put the victim on trial SMDH
It is utterly reprehensible that this crony judge was brought in and is allowing the MURDERED victim’s school records to be made public SOLELY for the purpose of CHARACTER ASSASSINATION. He was ALREADY ASSASSINATED that day by his father’s house. Judge will profit handsomely for her judgement and grow old in the Caicos somewhere…