The defense team for neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, who was charged with fatally shooting an unarmed Trayvon Martin during a confrontation at a gated community in Sanford, Florida, a city near Orlando, released data from the 17-year-old's cellphone. This information ncluded texts with a friend about fighting, smoking marijuana and being forced to move out of his mother's house because of trouble at school, USA Today reported on Thursday.
Defense attorneys on Thursday gave formal notice to prosecutors that they intend to use those and other reputation-damaging pieces of evidence about Martin once Zimmerman's second-degree-murder trial, which begins on June 10.
Prosecutors argue the photos are not relevant to the inquiry, and they should be barred. Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson must decide of its relevance, and the ssues may come up at a hearing Tuesday in Sanford.
The evidence made public Thursday by Zimmerman's attorneys portray Martin as a troubled and 'wannabe' gangster, news reports suggested. Martin had never been arrested, but had been suspended from school more than once.
The evidence packet contains more than two dozen photos, including one that shows Martin with gold teeth and two of him making an obscene gesture. As of Thursday, they officially became part of Zimmerman's criminal case.
In October, the judge said any history of violence on his part might be relevant.
As for the February encounter, Zimmerman told police that after the two exchanged words, Martin punched and broke his nose and knocking him to the ground, then climbed on top and began hammering his head on a sidewalk. The defendant told police he fired in self-defense.
One eyewitness initially described Martin as standing over Zimmerman and fighting mixed-martial-arts fighting..
Defense attorneys are expected to argue the marijuana use is relevant because in a phone call to police a few minutes before the shooting, Zimmerman described Martin as acting as if he were on drugs, news reports said.
