Prosecutor asks judge to conduct "full inquiry" of Trayvon Martin's shooter.
Some 27 states have Stand Your Ground laws involving justifiable homicide when attacked. A year after Florida's Trayvon Martin case, at least five states are considering changing their laws.
The state wants to know for sure whether George Zimmerman plans to claim immunity from prosecution in the shooting of Trayvon Martin — before he goes to trial in the second-degree murder case.Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda's new motion asks Circuit Judge Debra Nelson to conduct a "full inquiry" of Zimmerman, and confirm whether he's waiving his right to a hearing under Florida's "stand your ground" law.
In the case's early stages, defense attorney Mark O'Mara "made efforts to publicly assert that [Zimmerman] would be making a self-defense claim" and would request a hearing, the motion notes.
However, O'Mara later told Nelson he wouldn't need the two weeks the judge had set aside for a "stand your ground" hearing. O'Mara has also floated the possibility of combining the hearing and trial.
De la Rionda says Zimmerman needs to make up his mind: The state opposes combining the hearing and trial, and doesn't want Zimmerman to be able to claim immunity after trial, if he's convicted.
De la Rionda’s filing suggests the motion will be addressed at a hearing next week: He asked that Zimmerman attend, likely so the judge could question him about his intentions. READ MORE
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Keep it Civil. Ignoring the evidence will not be allowed!
Thank you.