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| George Zimmerman mocks Trayvon Martin in jailhouse phone calls. Latest bombshell to unravel in this controversial case. Also a witness comes forth claiming that Zimmerman sexually abused her when she was child. |
The controversial shooting incident in Florida in which an unarmed teenager got into a confrontation with the neighborhood watch volunteer takes another turn. Apparently George Zimmerman didn't care about taking out a person's life! The Trayvon Martin shooting has become an international issue. The legislation that gave Zimmerman a choice to stand his ground in defending himself is under fire by gun control advocates and Civil Rights leaders. Florida governor Rick Scott was pressured to find a special prosecutor to indict Zimmerman after the Sanford Police botched up the case. The incident led to massive protests and divided many among racial and political lines.
Zimmerman and his wife lied about their defense funding and were held in contempt of court. After the judge granted a lower bond for Zimmerman, newly uncovered tapes have shown that he and his wife Shellie were trying to hide fundraising and secondary passport. The bond was withheld and he was placed back in jail.
Zimmerman was released again on a $1 million dollar bond. The legal defense is now scrambling after bombshell evidence comes forth about Zimmerman mocking Trayvon Martin while in jail.
Zimmerman speaking in Spanish was taking a cheap shot at Martin. While in jail on the phone, Zimmerman made the comment, "You know that when I get out of here, I'll come out with my hoodie!"
The phone call was released against Zimmerman's attorney's wishes by the judge in the case. Reports said this phone call was one of 145 calls that revealed Zimmerman's defense attorney knew the defendant could afford a higher bond, and that he does not like black people.
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| Hannity offered to pay for George Zimmerman's defense. |
Sean Hannity was bashing Trayvon Martin and President Barack Obama. Numerous times, Hannity have mentioned that Zimmerman is a "good man" and the media was portraying him as "reckless killer". The conservative agitator claimed that it was an "accident" and it was Martin who threatened Zimmerman before he attacked him. Those claims are disputed.
Hannity will interview George Zimmerman and his attorney this coming week.
And another bombshell also comes in the wake of this tragedy. A witness comes forth saying that she was sexually abused by George Zimmerman. According to Reuters and USA Today, this witness is a cousin of Zimmerman and she decided to come forth.
The alleged assaults began when the woman was 6 years old and Zimmerman was 8; they allegedly continued until she was 16, USA Today reports. Zimmerman is currently 28 years old.
But even if the woman's allegations are true, could Zimmerman face criminal charges for incidents that happened at least a decade ago?
It depends on the nature of the alleged abuse, and where they took place.
The cousin claims George Zimmerman sexually abused her numerous times when she and her sister spent the night with Zimmerman's family in Virginia, according to the Orlando Sentinel. At least one incident took place in Florida.
The location is important because each state has different laws about prosecuting child sexual abuse cases. Virginia, for example, has no time limit for prosecutors to charge someone with child sexual abuse, according to Virginia Statehouse News.
But the last of the alleged abuse happened in Florida, when the cousin was 16 and Zimmerman was around 18. In Florida, such an assault can be a first- or second-degree felony, depending on the amount of violence involved. Prosecutions must take place within four or three years, respectively, of a child victim turning 18. For the Florida incident at least, the woman's claim is likely too late to prosecute.
Time limits for prosecutions in other states can be found in FindLaw's collection of State Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws.
It's not yet clear how prosecutors intend to use the George Zimmerman sexual abuse allegations in their murder case against him, if at all. At this early point, there is also no indication whether Zimmerman will face any sex abuse charges anywhere. Prosecutors released the taped interview Monday along with other recordings, including 145 phone calls by Zimmerman in jail, USA Today reports.
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