George Zimmerman (left) sits with Attorney Mark O’Mara during his bond hearing April 20.
As of this weekend Zimmerman’s attorney Mark O’Mara started a blog, Facebook and Twitter account for the client to answer questions about the case.
The blog – at www.GZLegalCase.com - offers an explanation from O’Mara about the decision to use this platform as a way to reach the public.
He wrote, “We contend that social media in this day and age cannot be ignored… We feel it would be irresponsible to ignore the robust online conversation, and we feel equally as strong about establishing a professional, responsible, and ethical approach to new media.”
The website will also be used as a new avenue to collect defense funds for Zimmerman, who O’Mara revealed last week had already garnered more than $200,000 from TheRealGeorgeZimmerman.com – a website the client created before his arrest.
O’Mara has since shut down that website and taken control over Zimmerman’s defense fund.
In a blog post late Monday evening O’Mara went on to describe what the website would not be doing. He stated the site would not be used to disseminate evidence in the case or comments about evidence. He wrote the defense attorneys would also not comment on Trayvon Martin, his family or his supporters.
He ended the post by writing, “We believe that social media will inevitably become a standard part of the legal process, but we insist that while the evolution of our society’s ability to interact has enormous potential to benefit us as a whole, it must be moderated in a way which protects both an individual’s right to, and our system’s responsibility to provide a fair trial with an impartial jury.”
Zimmerman is charged with 2nd-degree murder of Martin, 17, and could face life in prison if convicted. He was released on $150,000 bond last week but must wear a GPS monitoring device.