George Zimmerman Support Website Raised $200,000
Friday, April 27, 2012
By: Matthew Peddie

The lawyer representing George Zimmerman says he didn't know a website set up to support his client had raised over 200 thousand dollars until after last Friday's bond hearing. The prosecutor in Zimmerman's second degree murder case has asked for the bond amount to be raised.

At the bond hearing last week, the court was told Zimmerman had no money and his family would also struggle to help pay a bond. 
 
Today his lawyer Mark O’Mara told the judge he later found out his client’s website raised about 204 thousand dollars in donations.

“At the time he was before you there was about 150 thousand or so dollars available for whatever purposes," said O'Mara. 

"That was not disclosed to you by the family members, of course my client did not testify as to that but he was certainly here for the testimony.”

O'Mara said the family should have disclosed the money at the bond hearing. 

He said some of the money was used to pay for Zimmerman’s living expenses, and the rest is now in a trust account.

O'Mara told Zimmerman to take down his website and remove his facebook and twitter accounts. O'Mara has now set up a new website where supporters can make donations.

The prosecutor Bernie De la Rionda asked for the bond to be raised from 150 thousand dollars, but  judge Kenneth Lester said he needs more information about who had control of the money in the paypal accounts before he can make a ruling.

De La Rionda asked for a gag order to stop O'Mara talking to the media, but the motion was denied. 

O'Mara and De La Rionda both told the judge they have concerns about witness identities being made public before the trial.

Zimmerman was charged with murder in the second degree after he shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford in February.