George Zimmerman’s Donations Spike on His Return to Jail
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Seminole County Sheriff’s Office(MIAMI) — Donations to the legal defense fund of George Zimmerman have surged since the accused killer of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin has been ordered back to jail, his lawyer told ABC News on Monday.
Attorney Mark O’Mara said Zimmerman’s online defense fund has been receiving about $1,000 a day in donations, but the pace picked up after a judge required Zimmerman to return to jail.
Zimmerman, 28, woke up Monday in a 9-foot by 7-foot isolation cell in the Seminole County jail after surrendering Sunday. He was in shackles and wearing a bullet-proof vest after being taken into custody Sunday.
A judge ordered Zimmerman back into custody Friday after prosecutors presented jailhouse tapes of Zimmerman talking to his wife Shelly and allegedly discussing how much money was in his online defense fund. His wife told the court that they had no money to post for bail.
O’Mara said that he will seek a new bond hearing and that the couple intends to apologize to the judge.
“It’s not again like they were trying to hide the money or leave with the money. They just had it… and felt like they needed to secure themselves,” the lawyer said.
Zimmerman has about $193,000 in his defense fund, O’Mara said, and that about $20,000 has been spent on living expenses, hotels and security. Zimmerman has been in hiding because of death threats.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio