Chris Serino, the top investigator in the Trayvon Martin shooting, has hired Jose Baez as his lawyer to represent him in court, where he is being called as witness for the defense for George Zimmerman.
Baez was the head attorney defending 22-year-old Casey Anthony in the murder of her daughter Caylee Marie Anthony. Casey was acquitted of these charges.
Serino is a Sanford police who was the head investigator in the Zimmerman case. Serino recommended that Zimmerman be charged of manslaughter according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Earlier this month, Mark O'Mara, attorney of Zimmerman, disposed a witness list Thursday that mentioned two key investigators in the case.
According to Orlando Sentinel, O'mara wants to call upon Tim Smith, the first officer on the scene of the crime and Sgt. Randy Smith, the investigator who supervised the investigation, to the witness stand.
Officer Smith was the police who handcuffed Zimmerman and took him into custody. The police usually provide testimonies for the state. But according to The Hispanic Business, O'Mara will be using this unusual strategy in defending his client who is being charged with second-degree murder Martin.
Recently, prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda leaked the names of the witness. Whether this was an intentional move or accident remains unclear.
Earlier this month, O'Mara said that his witness would be given numbers as identities. O'Mara will submitted a list of witness to Judge Debra Nelson, while keeping their names unknown.
According to an article in the Orlando Sentinel, Rionda filed a summary sheet, which is open to the public, on November 8 at the Seminole County Court. The summary has a list of a number of witnesses.
Whether Judge Nelson will take any action against the prosecutor is yet unclear.
The defense claims to currently have between 50-70 witnesses according to the Huffington Post. Zimmerman's legal team submitted a request to delay the trial, which is been set for June 10. O'Mara states that the defense needs additional time to prepare for the case.
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.
Court hearing for trial has been set for June 10.
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