The attorney for George Zimmerman, Mark O’Mara, has filed a request for Circuit Judge Jessica Recksiedler to step down from the case because of a conflict she revealed last week. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder in the killing of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin on February 26. Zimmerman will plead not guilty, claiming that the shooting was in self-defense.
The conflict involves the husband of the judge, who works with attorney Mark NeJame, whom the family of Zimmerman first asked to represent him. NeJame declined and referred Zimmerman to O’Mara. Rick Scott, the governor of Florida, said that he does not believe special prosecutor Angela Corey filed charges in the case because of public pressure. He said that she filed charges and made an arrest because of the facts presented.
Also, news organizations in the state are challenging the fact that records have been sealed in the case. This case does not warrant the sealing of records and does not meet exemptions for them to be sealed. Records that have been sealed include full police reports, transcripts of witness interviews and autopsy reports, which normally are public record in Florida law. No comments have been made by Corey regarding the sealing of the records in the case.