Neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman told a court in Florida he would wait until his June trial to argue that he acted in self-defense when he shot and killed unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin last year, the Associated Press reported. Prosecutors charge that Zimmerman profiled and confronted 17-year-old Martin before shooting him in a gated community in Sanford, Florida.
Prosecutors also argued that if Zimmerman were to claim immunity under Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, which bars prosecution of someone who uses lethal force when in fear for their life rather than opting to retreat, it would have taken place before the start of his second-degree murder trial on June 10.
Zimmerman waived his right to a pretrial hearing to address the issue of immunity at Tuesday's hearing. Zimmerman's defense attorney Mark O'Mara said he could still file a standard motion for acquittal on grounds of self-defense after the evidence is presented at the trial, before the case goes to a jury.
Zimmerman argued that and he and Martin fought before shooting him since he feared his life.
Tuesday's hearing opened with the judge warning attorneys about a mounting climate of acrimony in the case. Court filings reveal that defense lawyers have accused prosecutors of willfully hampering defense efforts to obtain evidence, while prosecutors have responded with withering critiques of the defense's media strategy.
"I will not tolerate it. I will not tolerate it in court proceedings. I will not tolerate it in court filings," Judge Nelson admonished.
Nelson also will hear a defense request to unseal a settlement between Martin's parents and the homeowner's association at The Retreat at Twin Lakes subdivision where Martin was killed.
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