Girlfriend Wants Charges Dropped Against Zimmerman
ORLANDO (CBSMiami/AP) — George Zimmerman asked a judge to change the terms of his bond Monday in order to have contact with the girlfriend he's accused of assaulting last month.
Zimmerman filed an affidavit from his girlfriend that says she doesn't want him charged with aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief.
In the signed affidavit, Samantha Scheibe — referring to Zimmerman as "my boyfriend" — said that detectives misinterpreted what she said and that she hasn't been coerced into the request.
Zimmerman was arrested last month after Scheibe accused him in a call to 911 of pointing a gun at her, smashing a coffee table and pushing her outside. Zimmerman also called dispatchers, denied pointing a gun at her and blamed her for the broken table.
"I am not afraid of George in any manner and I want to be with him," Scheibe said in the affidavit.
Prosecutors could continue with the case despite Scheibe's request.
Lynne Bumpus Hooper, a spokeswoman for the State Attorney's Office, said in an email that prosecutors can and have gone on in domestic cases without victim cooperation.
She said prosecutors take into account the victim's wishes, law enforcement reports, physical evidence, other witnesses, victim credibility, defendant statements, 911 calls and medical records. But she also said a case becomes more difficult to prove if prosecutors don't have a victim's testimony and he or she is the only witness.
Zimmerman's Miami-based defense lawyer, Jayne Weintraub, said in a phone interview that her motion focuses on getting rid of the no-contact order between Zimmerman and Scheibe but that she wants the State Attorney's Office to reconsider the entire case in light of Scheibe's statement.
"I'm hoping that the prosecutors will take a good hard look at this and take the target off of George's back and drop the charges," Weintraub said.
She said a hearing will be scheduled in the near future to discuss the motion and affidavit.
Zimmerman was acquitted of murder in July in the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. That case sparked a nationwide debate about race and self-defense. Zimmerman was accused of racially profiling Martin and said he shot the teen to protect himself.
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