Zimmerman To Ask State For Costs Of Case
BLITZER: The lawyers who defended George Zimmerman against the second-degree murder charge in the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, they are planning to ask the state of Florida to reimburse him hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs incurred during the course of the trial. Under state law, he could get that money back. And Mark O'Mara, the defense attorney for George Zimmerman, is joining us now. Mr. O'Mara, thanks very much for coming in. You know, there's a lot of taxpayers out there who aren't going to be happy if your client gets what? $200,000 or $300,000 reimbursement for legal expenses, even though he was acquitted. What do you say to those taxpayers who aren't going to be happy about that?</s>MARK O'MARA, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S ATTORNEY: Well, first of all, the statute allows reimburses for an acquitted client. So like any other citizen, he has the same right that anyone would be once you get acquitted of a crime. I think that their anger is better focused on the prosecution who decided to charge an innocent man with a crime that they could not convict him of. And then force us to spend not only $200,000 we're seeking reimbursement for but another $1.5 million, $1.7 in fees and other expenses. That's where I think the frustration ought to be.</s>BLITZER: You and your co-counsels, so far you haven't been reimbursed at all for representing George Zimmerman. Is that right?</s>O'MARA: That's correct. I have not received a penny and fees at all in this case. We're keeping track of our billing. And I wish I could say that the State Attorney's Office would be responsible for reimbursement of the necessary attorney fees that we spent, but the law doesn't allow for that.</s>BLITZER: But at some point, if he does make money whether through book deals or movie deals or -- I know he's suing NBC News, you'll start getting some money for your own expenses. Is that right?</s>O'MARA: That's truly my hope, yes. We have kept track of the billing. George acknowledged an obligation to pay it if and when he can. Through the case</s>BLITZER: I want to play a clip. The former secretary of state, retired general, Colin Powell, was on "Face the Nation" last Sunday with Bob Schieffer, and had this exchange. Listen to this.</s>BOB SCHIEFFER, "FACE THE NATION": What do you think the implications in the fallout of the Trayvon Martin case will be?</s>COLIN POWELL, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: I think that it will be seen as a questionable judgment on the part of the judicial system down there. But I don't know if it will have staying power.</s>BLITZER: Questionable judgment. You want to respond to that?</s>O'MARA: Yes. I'm hopeful that he's talking about questionable judgment in the decision to prosecute an innocent man. If he's talking about questionable judgment about the jury's decision, that was not a questionable decision they made. The state failed to prove their case against an innocent man. And I think everyone from President Obama to General Powell to everybody else should look at this case and say the case is tried properly, he was acquitted properly, and we have to respect the jury that took their time to make a decision.</s>BLITZER: The name Trayvon Martin repeatedly over the past few days has come up here in Washington in all the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech, including several prominent African-American leaders have raised that name and the case. Listen to these little clips.</s>BEN JEALOUS, NAACP PRESIDENT: Claim some victories right now. Let us say yes, we will pass Trayvon's law from coast to coast.</s>MARTIN LUTHER KING III, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.'S SON: The tears of Trayvon Martin's mother and father remind us that far too frequently, the color of one's skin remains a license to profile, to arrest, and to even murder with no regard for the content of one's character.</s>SYBRINA FULTON, TRAYVON MARTIN'S MOTHER: As I said before, Trayvon Martin was my son. But he's not just my son. He's all of our son and we have to fight for our children.</s>BLITZER: What does it say to you that this case was so repeatedly underscored over these past few days here in Washington?</s>O'MARA: I truly don't mind if they want to use this event as a catalyst for us to have a discussion about certain issues in the criminal justice system that we should be talking about. We know there are some existing racial inequities in the system. And I'm OK with that. I do have a bit of a frustration that they seem to be willing to ignore or minimize some of the facts of the case and look just at the color of Trayvon's skin to use him as sort of the benchmark for a movement. Trayvon was a good 17-year-old, but he was there that night and we now know from what the jury says that there was responsibility on both sides for how that tragedy occurred.</s>BLITZER: Mark O'Mara, thanks very much for joining us.</s>O'MARA: Sure. It's great to be with you again. Good talking to you.