The attorney for George Zimmerman (Mark O’Mara) today discussed the $200,000 in donations his client received online.
At a hearing in Sanford, Attorney Mark O’Mara said none of the money was used for Zimmerman’s bond and he’s taken control of all of the Paypal accounts.
O’Mara, speaking on the”Anderson Cooper 360″show, said Zimmerman mentioned the money casually to him, and O’Mara didn’t know about it April 20 when a judge set Zimmerman’s bail at $150,000.
Zimmerman, shot Trayvon, a high-school student from Miami Gardens, Feb. 26 while Trayvon was walking through Zimmerman’s Sanford neighborhood. Zimmerman has said he killed the teen in self-defense.
O’Mara has placed the $200,000 in donations, sent through PayPal, into a secure account, up to 50 people had sent checks for Zimmerman’s defense.
O’Mara estimated that it would cost between $500,000 and $1 million to defend Zimmerman, who is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
O’Mara said his normal fee is $400 per hour and that he already has put more than 100 hours into the case.
Zimmerman was released this week on $150,000 bail and has been moved to an undisclosed location. He had surrendered to police earlier this month after prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder in the February shooting death of Martin in a gated community in the central Florida town of Sanford.
Zimmerman has pleaded not guilty and says he killed Mr Martin in self-defence.
The incident has prompted civil rights protests and a national debate over guns, self-defence laws and race in America.
