Zimmerman Foregoes 'Stand Your Ground' Hearing

Decision confuses prosecutors in Trayvon case
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 6, 2013 2:51 AM CST
Zimmerman Foregoes 'Stand Your Ground' Hearing
George Zimmerman, right, has been charged with murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, left.   (AP Photo, File)

George Zimmerman's lawyers have bewildered prosecutors by canceling a hearing that could have seen the murder charges against him dismissed under Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, the Miami Herald reports. The hearing had been expected in April but Zimmerman is now set to go to trial in June for shooting unarmed teen Travyon Martin just over a year ago. His lawyers say he might still invoke "Stand Your Ground" at his trial, though defendants usually use the self-defense law to have their cases dismissed before trial.

Defense attorney Mark O'Mara says Zimmerman wants to be found not guilty by a jury instead of having the charges dismissed. The former neighborhood watch volunteer, who has not been seen in public since he was freed on bail last July, "is doing as well as can be expected," a spokesman for his defense team tells NBC. "He is in hiding and has gained 105 pounds," putting him in the "ballpark" of 300 pounds, the spokesman says. "Everyone deals with stress differently." (More Trayvon Martin stories.)

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