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 The former neighborhood watch volunteer who was acquitted in the
fatal shooting of unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin earlier this
year was released from jail Tuesday pending arraignment on the
latest charges against him: aggravated assault, battery and criminal
mischief.
Zimmerman was released on the condition that he wear an electronic
monitor, keep his distance from guns, and stay away from the
girlfriend who accused him of trying to choke her and then a week
later pointing a shotgun at her. His bond was set at $9,000.
Zimmerman's arrest is the latest of several brushes he has had with
the law following his acquittal in Martin's death, a case that drew
worldwide attention as it sparked nationwide debates about race and
self-defense laws.
The choking accusation was disclosed for the first time by a
prosecutor at Zimmerman's first appearance Tuesday before a judge.
Zimmerman's girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe, feared for her life
because Zimmerman mentioned suicide and said he "had nothing to
lose," according to Assistant State Attorney Lymary Munoz.
After the hearing, Zimmerman's public defenders said he did not
appear to be suicidal and expressed confidence he would be acquitted
of any wrongdoing.
"He doesn't appear to be a danger to himself or a danger to anybody
else," said public defender Daniel Megaro.
Zimmerman, 30, wore gray jail garments and handcuffs during the
hearing and spoke only when answering yes or no to the judge.
Judge Frederic Schott ordered him to stay away from Scheibe's house,
wear a monitoring device and refrain from contact with her. He was
forbidden from possessing guns or ammunition or traveling outside
Florida.
Zimmerman has been charged with aggravated assault, a third-degree
felony punishable by up to five years in prison. He also has been
charged with battery and criminal mischief, both misdemeanors. An
arraignment was set for Jan. 7.
Judge Schott said Zimmerman's previous brushes with the law were not
a factor in the conditions he imposed, but he did cite the new
allegation of choking as a reason for the bond amount.
Earlier this year, Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges in the
February 2012 fatal shooting of teenager Trayvon Martin. The Justice
Department has been investigating whether to file civil rights
charges against Zimmerman related to that case. A department
spokesman said Tuesday that it would announce its decision soon.
Zimmerman revealed in an affidavit for hiring public defenders that
he has at least $2 million in debts and no income. He said he had
less than $150 in cash on hand.
Public defender Jeff Dowdy said Zimmerman's family has been
supporting him financially.
"I would think it would be difficult for George Zimmerman to get a
job in central Florida," he said.
Zimmerman has previously used a website to raise money for his legal
and living expenses, including $95,000 spent on bail in the Trayvon
Martin case. The site also says tens of thousands of dollars were
spent on living expenses and security.
In this latest scuffle, both Zimmerman and his girlfriend called 911
Monday and provided dueling descriptions to dispatchers about the
argument at the home she rented where Zimmerman was also staying.
Scheibe accused him in the emergency call of pointing a gun at her,
smashing a coffee table and then pushing her outside. Zimmerman also
called dispatchers, denied pointing a gun at her and blamed her for
the broken table.
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The girlfriend told deputies the ordeal started with a verbal
argument and that she asked Zimmerman to leave the house. Her
account in the arrest report says he began packing his belongings,
including a shotgun and an assault rifle. She says she began putting
his things in the living room and outside the house, and he became
upset.
At that point, the report said, he took the shotgun out of its case.
Zimmerman told his girlfriend to leave and smashed a pair of her
sunglasses as she walked toward the front door, the report said.
Scheibe told deputies he pushed her out of the house when she got
close to the door.
In his call to 911, Zimmerman said he never pulled a gun on his
girlfriend and that it was she who smashed a table. He also told the
dispatcher that Scheibe was pregnant with their child and that she
had decided she would raise the child on her own. When Zimmerman
started to leave, "she got mad," he said.
Seminole County Chief Deputy Dennis Lemma said at a news conference
that Scheibe was not pregnant. He also said Zimmerman was compliant
and unarmed when deputies came to the house.
On Tuesday, Dowdy said he could not confirm whether the girlfriend
was pregnant.
The arrest Monday was the latest legal problem for Zimmerman since
he was acquitted last summer of criminal charges in the fatal
shooting of Martin. Zimmerman has said he shot the 17-year-old to
defend himself during a fight in February 2012 inside a gated
community in Sanford, just outside Orlando.
Relatives of Martin accused Zimmerman of racially profiling the teen
and instigating a fight. Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.
In September, just two months after his acquittal, Zimmerman was
accused by his estranged wife of smashing an iPad during an argument
at the home they had shared. Shellie Zimmerman initially told a
dispatcher her husband had a gun, though she later said he was not
armed.
No charges were ever filed because of a lack of evidence. The
dispute occurred days after Shellie Zimmerman filed divorce papers.
George Zimmerman was served the papers while in custody on the
latest charges, said Shellie Zimmerman's lawyer, Kelly Sims.
In 2005, he had to take anger-management courses after he was
accused of attacking an undercover officer who was trying to arrest
Zimmerman's friend.
Later that year, Zimmerman's former fiancee filed for a restraining
order against him, alleging domestic violence. Zimmerman responded
by requesting a restraining order against her. Both requests were
granted, and no criminal charges were filed.
Since his acquittal, Zimmerman has also been pulled over three times
for traffic stops.
[Associated
Press; MIKE SCHNEIDER]
Associated Press Writer
Kyle Hightower in Orlando, Fla., contributed to this report.
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