George Zimmerman arrives for a status hearing in Seminole circuit court, in Sanford, Fla., Tuesday, February 5, 2013.
George Zimmerman is out on bail as he awaits trial in June for second-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin. He has so far raised more than $314,000 for his legal defense, according to his defense team’s website, and is currently living with his wife Shellie off of donations from supporters in a modest home at an undisclosed location. The money raised goes to expenses for his lawyer Mark O’Mara; security for the Zimmermans; case related expenses and fund management fees. But O’Mara has also said that the defense team is broke; he has appealed for more funds and is asking that the June 10 trial date be extended. Neither Zimmerman or his wife are working.
Zimmerman has other legal issues at hand: he has filed a lawsuit against NBC for misinterpreting his conversation with a police dispatcher, arguing the network characterized him as using a racial slur against Martin and that it edited audio from that recording to make it sound like he was racially profiling the teen. (NBC officials have denied any wrongdoing.)
In a hearing in April, Zimmerman and his legal team are hoping to divert the trial by convincing a judge that his actions were protected by Florida’s”Stand Your Ground” statue. Should that prove unsuccessful, he will take his not guilty plea to a Seminole County, Fla., court.
Since his arrest, Zimmerman has reportedly gained more than 100 pounds.