George Zimmerman Officialy Pleads “Not Guilty”

George Zimmerman has officially entered a plea of “not guilty” to the charge of 2nd degree murder after the shooting and killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida back in February.

Zimmerman himself did not appear in court. Instead, his lawyer entered the plea on Zimmerman’s behalf. His absence was expected, as his attorney waived the right to a speedy trial, alleging that Zimmerman “needs additional time to prepare” for the case. His attorney, Mark O’Mara, wishes to delay the case in order to allow racial tensions associated with the case to die down, according to ABC News.

Zimmerman was a member of a neighborhood watch group in Sanford, Florida and will be tried for the February 26th shooting and death of Trayvon Martin. If convicted, Zimmerman could face life in prison.

The 28-year-old Zimmerman remains free on bail, and is in hiding, though authorities are able to keep track of him through a GPS ankle bracelet. He has gathered $200,000 through his website, which he is using to cover his living expenses. His lawyer closed that account, run through Paypal, and opened another that is being overseen by a third party.

Zimmerman, O’Mara, and the lead prosecutors are currently preparing for the discovery part of trial preparation. The prosecution will disclose all relevant documents related to the case as early as this week, though much of it will be redacted in order to protect witnesses. O’Mara is expecting thousands of documents related to the case, including hundreds sent to the Sanford, Florida police department. Some of the documents are apparently racist in nature.

What do you think of George Zimmerman’s chances in court?