1. Zimmerman Arrested On Murder Charge In Martin Case; Will Plead Not G... http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/04/11/150449405/zimmerman...
Categories: Race in America, Legal, National News
06:06 pm
April 11, 2012
by BILL CHAPPELL
Win McNamee/Getty Images
State Attorney Angela Corey announces that George Zimmerman has been arrested and
charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Florida.
George Zimmerman, who says he killed unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin
in self-defense, has been arrested and will face a charge of second-degree murder,
says State Attorney Angela Corey, the special prosecutor investigating Martin's
death.
Corey said that Zimmerman turned himself in to the authorities Wednesday.
The arrest and charges come more than six weeks after Zimmerman, a neighborhood
watch volunteer, shot Trayvon, an African-American who was 17 when he died.
Zimmerman, 28, was not jailed or charged after the Feb. 26 shooting. Since then, the
case has become a cause of both outrage and contention.
Update at 9:12 p.m. EDT: Zimmerman has
arrived at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in
Sanford, Fla.
Update at 7:23 p.m. EDT: Zimmerman plans to
plead not guilty to murder in the Trayvon Martin
1 of 4

2. Zimmerman Arrested On Murder Charge In Martin Case; Will Plead Not G... http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/04/11/150449405/zimmerman...
shooting, according to his defense attorney, says
the AP. Orlando's Local 6 TV station has identified
Mark O'Mara as Zimmerman's new lawyer. And
after the charges were announced, the station
reported O'Mara saying: "I'm expecting a lot of
John E. Polk Correctional Facility work and hopefully justice in the end."
George Zimmerman's booking photo after
being charged with second-degree murder
in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Local 6 added that O'Mara said that Zimmerman is
doing "OK," but that he is also concerned about his
future. The attorney said his client was "troubled" by the charges.
Update at 7:07 p.m. EDT: Tracy Martin, Trayvon's father, thanked the family's
supporters for their compassion in a news conference held after Corey announced
the charges. He later said of Zimmerman, "It feels good to know that he's off the
street."
Update at 6:45 p.m. EDT: "We simply wanted an arrest," said Trayvon Martin's
mother, Sybrina Fulton, in reaction to the news. "We wanted nothing more, nothing
less. We just wanted an arrest, and we got it."
Update at 6:27 p.m. EDT: Corey said she has spoken with Martin's parents about
bringing the murder charge against Zimmerman.
"They now know that charges have been filed," Corey said of Martin's parents.
"We're very proud of the job that law enforcement has done."
Asked by reporters about potential sentences that might be sought against
Zimmerman, Corey refused to speculate. She would also not clarify his whereabouts,
other than to say he is in custody and in Florida. And a location for the trial has not
been set.
The charges reportedly carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Our original post continues:
In addition to sparking a national discussion about race, the Trayvon Martin case has
also brought new scrutiny to states that have a "stand your ground" law, which
expands the circumstances under which people can make a claim of self defense.
The charge of second-degree murder is often made in cases in which prosecutors
believe that a killing was intentional, but not premeditated.
2 of 4

3. Zimmerman Arrested On Murder Charge In Martin Case; Will Plead Not G... http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/04/11/150449405/zimmerman...
On Monday, Corey announced that she would not be taking the case to a grand jury
this week — a sign that many interpreted as meaning that Zimmerman would not be
facing a charge of first-degree murder. As a state attorney, Corey is an elected official
in Florida. She announced the charges in her home district of Jacksonville, which is
more than 100 miles north of Sanford.
Zimmerman has not made any public appearances since the shooting; his
whereabouts have been the subject of much speculation.
News of Zimmerman's arrest comes one day after his attorneys, Craig Sonner and
Hal Uhrig, announced that they would no longer be representing him.
As we reported earlier today, Martin's parents said they had not confirmed any new
developments as of early Wednesday afternoon.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, the parents of Trayvon Martin, who was killed by
neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, spoke at a a news conference in
Washington Wednesday. In Florida, Zimmerman has been arrested and charged with second-
degree murder.
"I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, justice will be served" in the case, Martin's
mother, Sybrina Fulton, told the AP.
Hours before Corey's announcement, Florida Gov. Rick Scott issued a statement, in
which he urged "all Florida citizens to allow our justice system to reach an
appropriate conclusion in this case."
And civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, who spoke with Martin's parents
Wednesday at an event held by his National Action Network group in Washington,
3 of 4

4. Zimmerman Arrested On Murder Charge In Martin Case; Will Plead Not G... http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/04/11/150449405/zimmerman...
D.C., called for their supporters to remain peaceful as the investigation continues.
"We are not in the business of revenge. We are in the business of justice," Sharpton
said, reports The Orlando Sentinel. "We must make the justice system work.
Otherwise the movement is for nothing. To go outside the justice system is to
achieve nothing."
"Trayvon's name must not be tarnished," Sharpton said.
Tags: George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin
4 of 4