By Frances Robles, McClatchy Newspapers –
MIAMI — Donations to George Zimmerman legal defense fund increased nearly 20-fold since a judge ordered a $1 million bond, his attorney said Friday.
A judge announced Thursday that Zimmerman could leave jail pending trial if he posts a $1 million bond. O’Mara said that will cost Zimmerman $85,000 cash, because he already spent $15,000 on a bondsman fee when he was first released in April.
His bond had been revoked, because he misled the court about the amount of money he raised online. A legal defense site that normally gets about $1,000 in donations a day received an outpouring of support in the past 24 hours.
“Since the $1,000,000 bond was made public on July 5, supporters have donated approximately $20,000,” O’Mara said. “In the two months prior to the Court’s Order Setting Bail, the George Zimmerman Defense Fund had received approximately $55,000.”
A temporary safe house has been located where Zimmerman can stay until a more secure location is identified, O’Mara said.
“The legal defense team has been working to satisfy George Zimmerman’s bond and secure his release,” he said. “We are confident that Mr. Zimmerman will be released soon, although the exact time will not be revealed out of respect for the security concerns surrounding his release. Once Mr. Zimmerman’s release has been secured we will change our focus from securing bond to the defense of the charges against him.”
