Zimmerman Released On $1 Million Bond
ORLANDO (CBSMiami) – George Zimmerman has posted $1 million bail and been released from the Seminole County Jail.
Zimmerman secured the bond Friday and walked away from the Seminole County Jail shortly before 3 p.m.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, defense attorney Don West said Zimmerman wants to be home with his wife, Shellie.
Even though he has been released, Zimmerman still faces very strict conditions including:
- Refrain from any criminal activity of any kind
- Shall not have any contact with the victim's family, directly or indirectly, except as necessary to conduct pretrial discovery through his attorneys
- Shall be subject to electronic monitoring at his own expense
- Shall not leave Seminole County without prior authorization by the court
- Shall check in with pre-trial release department every 48 hours
- Shall not enter the property of the Orlando-Sanford International Airport
- Shall not open or maintain a bank account
- Shall not consume any alcohol
- Shall obey a curfew between 6 p.m and 6 a.m.
- Shall not apply or obtain a passport
The release comes just hours after a very public plea from the defense team, led by attorney Mark O'Mara.
In a post on the website, gzlegalcase.com, the site asked for more donations and revealed that $20,000 had been raised in the 24 hours since he was given bail.
Zimmerman's team said they have established a safe house since he has to remain within Seminole County if he makes bond.
Judge Kenneth Lester issued his bond ruling Thursday in a written order that had blistering critiques of Zimmerman's actions in the first bond hearing.
"By its plain language, this Court is authorized to detain the defendant without bail if it is determined that it is necessary to assure the integrity of the judicial process." Judge Lester wrote. "Under any definition, the defendant has flaunted the system…Before this tragic incident, the defendant had a very sophisticated knowledge of the criminal justice system over and above that of the average law-abiding citizen."
Donations to the George Zimmerman Legal Defense Fund plummeted while Zimmerman was awaiting his bond hearing, but the $20,000 raised in 24 hours was nearly half of what the fund took in over the prior two months.
"George Zimmerman and his family do not have anywhere near $1,000,000 for collateral so even if we pay the $100,000 fee, the bail bond company will have to agree to work with us on how the collateral would be posted," reads a July 5th article on the site.
The post goes on to cite "significant expenses ahead of us for expert witnesses, deposition costs, private security and George's living expenses."
