Judge Debra Nelson, in the George Zimmerman murder case, has granted defense access to the personal records and information of Trayvon Martin, who was shot to death by Zimmerman.
Mark O'Mara, attorney of Zimmerman, filed a petition earlier this month for access to all personal information of the 17-year-old, including school records, cell-phone information as well as all social media activity. O'Mara claims that all the information is imperative to defense.
According to Christian Monitor, O'mara said,"I have had anecdotal evidence that there were videos out there suggesting that [Martin] involved himself in MMA (mixed martial arts) fighting, he had an experience level with that...I think the judge hit it on head ... that reputation for violence is an issue in this case."
The lawyer of Martin's parents, Benjamin Crump, told the Huffington Post, "Trayvon's parents maintain that his school records and Facebook page are completely irrelevant to George Zimmerman's decision to get out of his car to profile, pursue, and shoot their son in the heart...How does George Zimmerman's review of Trayvon Martin's high school and middle school records and Facebook page bear any relevance to Zimmerman's decision to pull the trigger and kill a seventeen year old child? Is this going to be a new legal standard we are setting -- for a murderer to review the school records and Facebook page of his teenage victim to determine whether or not he should have killed him?"
However, O'Mara maintains that all information "is reasonably calculated to lead to relevant admissible evidence."
In addition to the release of all personal information, the Zimmerman defense team also submitted a request to delay the trial. O'Mara states that the defense needs additional time to prepare for the case. The defense claims to currently have between 50-70 witnesses according to the Huffington Post.
Zimmerman was arrested in February for the killing of the 17-year-old, Zimmerman who was armed shot Martin after claiming that he was attacked by the teenager and fired in an act of self-defense. The 28-year-old Zimmerman has maintained the claim to self-defense from the beginning of the case.
In July, the Florida judge set Zimmerman's bail for $1 million, after previously revoking a $150,000 bond, for misleading the court about his finances.
He has been released from jail on bond, but under strict conditions including a round the clock GPS monitoring system.
