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Nancy Grace
Zimmerman Charged With Second-Degree Murder
Aired April 11, 2012 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight. Live, Sanford, Florida. A 17- year-old heads home to his dad`s condo, gunned down by the captain of neighborhood watch.
Bombshell tonight: 44 long days after the shooting death of an unarmed 17-year-old, Trayvon Martin, an arrest goes down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELA COREY, SPECIAL PROSECUTOR: Today we filed an information charging George Zimmerman with murder in the second degree. A capias has been issued for his arrest. With the filing of that information and the issuance of the capias, he will have a right to appear in front of a magistrate in Seminole County within 24 hours of his arrest, and thus, formal prosecution will begin.
I will confirm that Mr. Zimmerman is, indeed, in custody. I will not tell you where. That`s for his safety, as well as everyone else`s safety.
We did not come to this decision lightly. Let me emphasize that we do not prosecute by public pressure or by petition. We prosecute based on the facts of any given case, as well as the laws of the state of Florida.
We will continue to seek the truth throughout this case. We are here to do that on behalf of our victim, Trayvon Martin, and on behalf of the person responsible for his death, George Zimmerman.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We simply wanted an arrest. We wanted nothing more, nothing less. We just wanted an arrest. And we got it. And I say thank you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus!
MARK O`MARA, ATTORNEY FOR GEORGE ZIMMERMAN: He`s concerned about getting a fair trial and a fair presentation. There`s a lot of issues and there`s a lot of emotions that we need to calm this down. It needs to be tried in a courtroom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Bombshell tonight. In the last hour, an arrest goes down in the shooting death of an unarmed 17-year-old, Trayvon Martin.
Straight down to Jacksonville, Florida. Standing by there at the courthouse, "People" magazine writer Steve Helling. Steve, where is Zimmerman? What`s the charge? And what happened?
STEVE HELLING, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Well, right now, Zimmerman is on his way to the Seminole County jail. So he should be arriving there at any moment.
The charges against him are second-degree murder. And right now, we`re just -- we`re waiting to see, you know, what he`s going to be saying, what the defense is going to be. And he`s worried about his safety, according to sources right now. The media has gotten on this like a megalodon (ph). It`s scary right now. And he is just trying to get to where he needs to go and...
GRACE: Hold on. Hold on. Hold on, Steve. Everyone, you are seeing a live feed right now. Take our faces down quickly, Elizabeth. You`re seeing a live feed right now of Zimmerman, George Zimmerman.
In the last hours, an arrest goes down. It`s our understanding he is being transported from Orange County to Seminole County, where he will be booked in, fingerprinted, mug shot, formal charges going down in the last hours, starting with a manslaughter charge, a murder two charge. Take a look. You`re seeing a live feed right now of the transport of George Zimmerman.
Helling, you state he`s on his way to Seminole County jail. Is it your understanding he`s coming from Orange County?
HELLING: Actually, the Orange County jail has told us that he was not there. So I believe it was more Duval County, up here in Jacksonville. But he was not in the Orange County jail.
GRACE: OK. We were getting that from ABC wires and reports. So now we`re hearing Duval. Regardless of where he`s coming from, we know where he`s headed. He`s headed straight to Seminole County jail.
To George Howell, CNN reporter also joining us there in Jacksonville at the courthouse. George, why is he headed from one Florida jail to another? Why?
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, at this point, he is expected to go into the Seminole County jail because that, again, is the area. That`s where this all happened. That`s where all of this will take place as far as moving forward with this case.
And Nancy, important to point out, here in the next 24 hours, as soon as he`s booked into that jail, he will have the chance for a bond hearing. And he`s entitled to a reasonable bond here in the state of Florida. That will depend upon several factors. Is he a flight risk? Clearly, the fact that his attorney says that he voluntarily turned himself in -- that could factor into his bond.
GRACE: Well, Howell, I appreciate that. However, as we all know, for the last, oh, 48 to 72 hours, he`s been off the grid. His own lawyers couldn`t find him. They took to the airwaves, attacking his emotional and mental state, which I don`t think was a very good idea for him. But long story short, if his own lawyers at the time couldn`t find him, I don`t know how responsible the judge should believe Zimmerman will be in coming back to court now that he is facing felony charges.
Again, everyone, you are seeing a live feed right now of George Zimmerman en route to the Seminole County jail. As it was just pointed out by George Howell, CNN reporter, he`s coming back to Seminole County because that is the jurisdiction, the venue in which this incident allegedly went down. This is where jurisdiction lies.
We are taking your calls. In the last minutes, as we go to air, as a matter of fact, his new defense attorney takes to the air. Jean Casarez, legal correspondent, "In Session," what do we know about the new guy?
JEAN CASAREZ, "IN SESSION": Mark O`Mara. He has practiced criminal law for many years. He`s a former prosecutor.
I remember during the Casey Anthony trial, Nancy, I would come out of the courthouse and Mark O`Mara would be sitting there. He would be a legal analyst for one of the local stations. He`s very well known in Orlando and very, very respected.
And Nancy, we want to tell everybody, Seminole County is right next to Orange County. We are very close to Casey Anthony territory with this brand-new case.
GRACE: Speaking of the new defense attorney, he has just taken to the air in defense of George Zimmerman. He says Zimmerman will plead not guilty. He expects a bond hearing in the next 24 hours. Under Florida statute, with these charges, the bond is typically set around $15,000.
He is asking for calm. He is stating that there will be a request for change of venue for this trial after a not guilty plea. He is also stating that the defendant, George Zimmerman, is on his way back. We can see that with our own eyes right now.
Liz, let`s take a listen to what the new A-team has to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O`MARA: I`m hoping that law enforcement is going to do what they can to assist me in keeping him safe. I`m hoping that the community will calm down. We now have a process in place. It`s a very good process, best in the world, and it works pretty well. We have to let it work. We have to understand and have faith in the justice system.
Nobody, after all, wanted Trayvon Martin to be prejudged as he was walking down that street. I ask not to prejudge George Zimmerman, and please do not prejudge the criminal justice system. It`s going to work. We just need to let it work.
I think that nobody would deny the fact that if George Zimmerman were walking down the street today, he would be at risk. And that`s just a reality. That`s just the way things are right now. So we need to protect him, and I`m hoping the judge will understand that. I`m certain the prosecutor...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: How ironic that his own defense attorney states that he would be unsafe walking the streets! Now, that`s an unfortunate use of words, choice of words, because that is exactly what the charges are in this case, that 17-year-old unarmed Trayvon Martin was simply walking the street when he was gunned down.
A lot has gone down in the last couple of hours. In the minutes before we take to air tonight, Trayvon Martin`s new -- charges in the death of Trayvon Martin have gone down, the new defense attorney speaking out.
Joining me right now, friend and neighbor, speaking for George Zimmerman, Frank Taaffe is joining us. Mr. Taaffe, response to the charges that have just come down?
FRANK TAAFFE, FRIEND AND NEIGHBOR OF GEORGE ZIMMERMAN: Nancy, I was shaken, but I wasn`t stirred. I was 50/50. When the grand jury did not convene, it was 50/50.
Let me just share one thing. I was very upset in the way the special prosecutor, Ms. Corey, could have tempered her jubilation when she emoted her decision to charge George today.
GRACE: What jubilation was that? I didn`t see any jubilation.
TAAFFE: She seemed like she was pretty elated in...
GRACE: I mean, what specifically?
TAAFFE: Her facial demeanor.
GRACE: Her facial demeanor.
TAAFFE: If you want to run the tape back, you can see it.
GRACE: Sure.
TAAFFE: Run the tape back and...
GRACE: I`ll do just that. Liz, roll the tape...
TAAFFE: And I`d like -- and I`d like to note she...
GRACE: ... because I want to hold Taaffe`s feet to the fire. I want to see what it is you keep telling me -- The T-shirt shows this. The jacket shows that. I don`t see it. And I`ve got 20/20, 20/18, OK?
TAAFFE: That`s right.
GRACE: No need for glasses yet. So Liz, let me know when you have Corey ready to roll. Now what are you saying about her demeanor, the special prosecutor, that is elated?
TAAFFE: She seemed like to me and to a lot of my constituents that...
GRACE: Your constituents?
TAAFFE: Yes.
GRACE: I didn`t know you held elected position.
TAAFFE: Yes, probably -- you`re right. OK. Friends.
GRACE: OK, you know what? Let`s take a listen to Corey. Roll it, Liz.
TAAFFE: Thank you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COREY: The first thing we did was pray with them. We opened our meeting in prayer. Mr. Crump and Mr. Parks were there.
We did not promise them anything. In fact, we specifically talked about if criminal charges do not come out of this, what can we help you do to make sure your son`s death is not in vain? And they were very kind and very receptive to that.
And as I stated, Mr. Delariana (ph) has been in touch with Mr. Crump and with Ms. Fulton and Mr. Martin since we took over this case, and we intend to stay in touch with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: I don`t see the elation and the jubilation you`re describing, Taaffe.
TAAFFE: She seemed pretty happy about it.
GRACE: Where? What? What did she say? I saw nothing of the sort.
TAAFFE: Well, I saw it.
GRACE: But why? Can you articulate...
TAAFFE: Yes.
GRACE: ... why?
TAAFFE: Well, being on this team over here, her delivery could have been a little more middle of the road in her -- her overexcitement or her zealousness to maybe get this out there. But her delivery could have been a little more tempered...
GRACE: That`s what she`s got...
TAAFFE: ... in my opinion.
GRACE: ... to say. We just showed you Corey. She did not seem jubilant, elated...
TAAFFE: Well, that`s...
GRACE: ... whatsoever. So I...
TAAFFE: Once again, just like in the tapes of what you heard, you know, when it was cold or the other word. You know, this is in the eyes of the beholder, Nancy. Let`s -- you know...
GRACE: Yes, I guess so.
TAAFFE: (INAUDIBLE) out there...
GRACE: All right, but if that`s your -- I would think you have a bigger concern tonight, Mr. Taaffe, for your friend, George Zimmerman...
TAAFFE: No, Nancy...
GRACE: ... other than you believe Angela Corey...
TAAFFE: ... we have -- we have...
GRACE: ... seemed elated.
TAAFFE: Mark O`Mara is a preeminent attorney...
GRACE: Yes, he is.
TAAFFE: ... in central Florida. I believer now this is going to be just like a football game. And America loves football. This is going to be four quarters. They teed the ball up and they kicked it to us. We elected to receive.
And Mr. O`Mara is the number one quarterback that we have from the draft, and he`s going to help us take that ball to the end zone of innocence.
GRACE: OK, wa-wait, wa-wait, wa-wait. You received the -- how did that go? There was a kickoff. You receive. I think it`s time for a Hail Mary. That`s what I can tell you right now. Because this is headed...
TAAFFE: We`re not -- we`re not...
GRACE: ... for a jury.
TAAFFE: We`re not going to call fair catch, Nancy. We`re going to take the ball...
GRACE: Take a look...
TAAFFE: ... right to the end zone!
GRACE: Take a look at the monitor in front of you, Mr. Taaffe.
TAAFFE: I see it.
GRACE: George Zimmerman is in that vehicle headed for a book-in...
TAAFFE: I understand.
GRACE: ... at Seminole County jail.
TAAFFE: Yes.
GRACE: Now, have you spoken with him?
TAAFFE: I spoke to him on Monday.
GRACE: Was that a voicemail message, or did you actually talk to him this time?
TAAFFE: No, I actually conversed with him this time.
GRACE: And why did he go off the grid for a couple of days, not even telling his lawyers where he was?
TAAFFE: I can`t get inside his head. All I can share with you right now, that on Monday, he was very lucid, concise and clear in, you know, wanting to share with the public about his Web site that he came out with in regards to...
GRACE: Yes, I`ve looked at the Web site.
TAAFFE: ... the burglaries...
GRACE: So he`s talking about his Web site right now. Let me ask you this. His lawyer says he intends to plead not guilty. Mr. Taaffe, what will the defense be?
TAAFFE: Self-defense. Stand your ground -- 776.031.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We wanted nothing more, nothing less. We just wanted an arrest, and we got it. And I say thank you. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news in the Trayvon Martin killing.
COREY: Today we filed an information charging George Zimmerman with murder in the second degree.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is some problem with this case and that he needs to be arrested.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does that bald guy in the red jacket look like he`s been beaten and bloodied?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He says he acted out of self-defense.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Looking into all aspects of the 911 call.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The crying was a little boy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: We are live in Florida tonight and taking your calls. In the last hours, 44 long days after the shooting death of unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, an arrest goes down.
You are seeing live footage right now of what we believe, what is allegedly George Zimmerman en route to be booked, fingerprinted and mug shot to the Seminole County jail.
We are taking your calls. Straight out to John, New Jersey. Hi, John. What`s your question?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, Nancy. I love you. It`s been years I`ve been trying to get ahold of you. And I loved you on "Dancing With the Stars" and you did go off too early!
GRACE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One thing is -- first of all, different news networks are saying white. He`s not white. He`s Latino, first of all. And what`s going to happen if he`s found not guilty? What`s going to happen? Are we going to have riots in this country?
And why don`t they just give him a lie detector test or truth serum to see if he was being bashed on the ground and he defended himself? I mean...
GRACE: John in New Jersey, excellent questions. You`re right. And I`m not saying he`s guilty or that he`s innocent. What I am saying is that I agree with you. He needs to be arrested and let a jury sort out the rest.
As to a truth serum, sodium pentathol -- unconstitutional. As to hooking up a defendant to a lie detector -- unconstitutional, unless they agree to it prior to trial, knowing that the result may be admitted into trial. Not going to happen. Those are the answers that I know so far.
Do I think there`ll be a not guilty verdict? Don`t know. After tot mom, frankly, the place is up for grabs, all right? I don`t know what the verdict is going to be.
Very quickly, to Jean Casarez. Jean, explain to me -- explain to our viewers -- I`ve got the charge right here on what they call an "information." What is murder two in this jurisdiction?
CASAREZ: First of all, you can be sentenced to life in prison, all right? Now let`s look at the elements. It is an act that is imminently dangerous to life and evidenced by a deprived -- depraved mind with disregard to human life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s something going on here with the tape. You know, people can see what they see.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) three words, stand your ground.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not easy for me to talk...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: Go live, go live, go live! Here you see central Florida, there at Seminole County jail. We believe that this is the vehicle transporting George Zimmerman. Forty-four long days after the shooting of an unarmed 17-year-old, Trayvon Martin, an arrest goes down, special prosecutor Angela Corey bypassing a grand jury, drawing up an accusation of murder two. That will go to a jury today. A new defense attorney claims not guilty will be entered.
There you go. We believe we have just seen Zimmerman going in with a jacket over his head. Rack it back up, Liz. I want to see this again. You are seeing a shot right there of the Seminole County jail. Just emerging from that SUV, several males all came out of the vehicle and went just a few feet into that door.
You`re seeing the jail shot right there. One male had a dark jacket over his head, about the same height as the others, went straight in the door. We believe George Zimmerman is now in the Seminole County jail, finally answering up to charges he gunned down a 17-year-old unarmed Trayvon Martin.
To Frank Taaffe, friend and neighbor of Zimmerman. Response?
TAAFFE: Total sellout.
GRACE: What`s a total sellout?
TAAFFE: They sold out the...
GRACE: Who sold out what?
TAAFFE: The prosecutor sold out. The facts in this case...
GRACE: Why? You also think it should have been a murder one charge?
TAAFFE: No. I thought it was a sellout. She should have came back with no charge at all. The facts are...
GRACE: And that would be based on?
TAAFFE: The facts in the case and the police narrative on eyewitnesses that were at the scene, that were heard through various other media outlets, that George Zimmerman stood his ground.
And this will come -- and my favorite word -- to fruition. So you know what? We`ll have to take the next step, due process, as I shared with you before.
GRACE: Unleash the lawyers. Eleanor Odom, John Manuelian, Hugo Rodriguez. Also with us, Woodrow Tripp, former police commander.
Eleanor Odom if you take everything Taaffe says as true, isn`t that still an issue of fact that goes to a jury?
ELEANOR ODOM, PROSECUTOR: Yes, it`s the jury who`s going to decide if Zimmerman had a right to stand his ground in this case, Nancy. And the prosecutor did a great job in charging him with manslaughter, second-degree manslaughter.
GRACE: And now, step one to justice, an arrest of George Zimmerman.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NANCY GRACE, HLN HOST: Welcome back. In the last moments, George Zimmerman apparently out of this SUV, you are seeing right there outside the Seminole County jail with apparently a jacket covering his head going into the jailhouse. This for fingerprinting, mug shot and formal book in.
Unleash the lawyers. Eleanor Odom, John Manuelian and Hugo Rodriguez, Woody Tripp.
Out to you, Woody. You have handled so many homicide cases, and I would say in maybe a good 30, 35 percent of them, somebody claims self-defense. But you, as a commander, as a former police commander, what would you do? They are on the street. Go, well you know what, you say self-defense. Go ahead. Go on home tonight. Or would you take them in and book them and let a jury make that decision?
WOODROW TRIPP, POLYGRAPH EXPERT: Well, Nancy, right. We just take them for their word. Wrap it up, go get some coffee and go home and let`s not forget, get a doughnut. No, absolutely not. You know, just because someone says it.
You know, Nancy. There`s a saying. A lie doesn`t care who tells it. A lie doesn`t care who hears it. But the point is as an investigator, I have to make a determination. I have to sort through that, get to the facts and get that to a prosecutor.
GRACE: Everybody, you are seeing a live shot of the Seminole County jailhouse just inside, Zimmerman. I think we have just gotten another shot of him being printed, booked and a mug shot taken.
Now, I know it has been 44 days since the shooting death of unarmed 17- year-old Trayvon Martin. But would there be any indicia of wounds to Zimmerman in that book-in photo. Will we see evidence in regards to the head or a broken nose.
We are taking your calls. Back to the lawyers. John Manuelian, weigh in.
JOHN MANUELIAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: First all of, that video is re- digitized, Nancy. And it did show cuts on the back of his head. Also, I want to point to the fact, there was a witness that saw Martin on top of Zimmerman at the time of the fight. That was reported to FOX Orlando -- FOX News in Florida. So the police are conducting a thorough investigation, and that`s what I would like to believe at this point in time.
GRACE: OK. You know what, Manuelian --
MANUELIAN: Nancy --
GRACE: You gave me nothing. You want justice. We all want justice. Can you weigh in on what`s happening right now?
MANUELIAN: OK. Well, they`ve made an arrest. They have probable cause. They believe that more likely than not a crime has been convicted and as you said, justice will play out in the courtroom.
GRACE: OK. Rodriguez, this is your neck of the woods. You`re in the Florida jurisdiction. What happens next there in Seminole County?
HUGO RODRIGUEZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: He will spend the night there, have an additional appearance in the morning. We understand from new counsel that he`ll have an Arthur hearing which is what it`s called here in the state of Florida. There`s a presumption against bond but more than likely he will make bond. Then, we`ll have to decide on where he stays and where it goes.
You have to understand that in the state of Florida, it`s unique. He`ll get two bites of the apple. He`ll file a motion to dismiss under "Stand Your Ground," and he will have to show, by clear and convincing evidence, that he had the right to use force. If he prevails there, he is immune from prosecution. If he loses, he gets another bite at the apple before a jury.
GRACE: All right. Ellie Jostad, let me tell you how this thing is going to go down, all right? Number one, he gets arrested. He gets booked. Fingerprinted. Within 24 hours, he typically will get a bond hearing. A bail hearing. Statute in Florida says that with this, a murder two, you typically get a $15,000 bond. Maybe, maybe not. There will be several criteria that will be weighed at the bond hearing. Including flight risk. The nature of the crime. Will he tamper with witnesses? Is he a danger to himself or others? Those are some of the factors that will be weighed at the bond hearing.
After the bond hearing, there will be another hearing, Ellie, on "Stand Your Ground." Whether or not "Stand Your Ground" laws apply to this case. He will put up the affirmative defense at that time. It`s his burden since he calls for the hearing to layout to the judge whether he can use "Stand Your Ground" as a defense.
At that time, the judge will rule, and either side can then appeal that ruling up to an appellate court. This is all before trial happens. You`ll have a lengthy discovery process, then probably a change of venue and then a trial. Is that how it`s going to go down, Ellie?
ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Right. Exactly, Nancy. And like you said, that part, regarding the "Stand Your Ground" charge, motion to dismiss, actually, that could go on. It could go back and forth forever. We`ve seen how these motions have gone back and forth in other cases.
GRACE: Everybody, take a look at the jail there at Seminole County. Everyone waiting for word. George Zimmerman now finally answering up for the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
And speaking for his family, joining us tonight out of Tallahassee, Florida, is the attorney for Trayvon Martin`s family, Jasmine Rand.
Ms. Rand, take a look at this video. We`re re-racking and showing again. Here is Zimmerman. They are putting -- it looks like a police officer`s coat over his head and he is in the jail.
Ms. Rand, weigh in.
JASMINE RAND, TRAYVON MARTIN`S FAMILY ATTORNEY: We`re very pleased with the decision that the special prosecutor Angela Corey made. We feel that she weighed the evidence in a fair and impartial manner which is all that the family was asking for. And she made the decision that the family believes should have been made from day one and charged George Zimmerman with the murder of Trayvon Martin.
GRACE: When you see this, when you see him finally being booked, are you amazed at how long it took? Do you believe this was the normal process, and are you concerned that it took protests across the country in order for this to happen? What would have happened if the protests had never gone down and Angela Corey had never been named special prosecutor?
RAND: You know, as a civil rights attorney, it certainly concerns me that it took 44 days to get an arrest that clearly should have been made the first night that he took Trayvon`s life. And, you know, after seeing it, after having calls from the nation, after having this grassroots uprising, I am pleased and I have faith now that, you know, we hope that justice will be served in this case.
GRACE: We are taking your calls. Out to the lines. Who is my caller from Louisiana? Ann, Louisiana. Hi, Ann, what`s your question?
ANN, CALLER, LOUISIANA: Hi, Nancy. It`s always a blessing to speak with you.
GRACE: Thank you.
ANN: This has bothered me the whole time that I`ve been watching this. I`ve never heard anyone speak on this, but if by George Zimmerman`s own admission, he was basically stalking Trayvon Martin, if Trayvon felt threatened and turned around on him and did knock him to the ground, couldn`t it be said that Trayvon Martin was standing his ground?
GRACE: As a matter of fact, that has been my question very often under Florida law. Hugo Rodriguez joining us out of Florida.
Hugo is a defense attorney now. Former fed with the FBI. At any time does the role of aggressor switch? In other words, if he, Zimmerman, is basically following along behind Trayvon Martin. Martin finally turns around and comes back on him, I don`t see how that turns Martin into the aggressor.
RODRIGUEZ: No, the statute specifically addresses that. That the aggressor, the initial aggressor, be it Zimmerman here, doesn`t have that defense unless the conditions change and it`s a force on force situation and he then believes that the force applied to him is greater and he is in eminent danger of death or serious bodily harm. Then the statute applies.
GRACE: Back to Frank Taaffe, friend, neighbor of George Zimmerman. You seem extremely concerned about the demeanor of Angela Corey, the special prosecutor in this case.
FRANK TAAFFE, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN`S FRIEND, NEIGHBOR: As I shared with you earlier, that`s a total sellout. I was reviewing 776 where one of your callers was concerned about who was the aggressor.
If you listen to the 911 tapes in its entirety, and I implore you to do this, they have fully been out there for a while. Listen to them and what George shared with me on Monday is that there is truth in those tapes that he lost sight of Trayvon. He says on the 911 tapes, when a dispatcher asks him, he says we don`t need you to do that. And he`s complicit. He complies. He says, OK. And he says he must -- he ran off. We`re talking about a 6`3", 17-year-old young man who just got done playing football as a wide receiver that could run the 100-yard dash under ten seconds.
If he was 30 to 40 yards away from his front door, do you not believe he can outrun a 28-year-old punchy, non-tough guy, non-sprinter, non-football- type player? Ask yourself that question. And then I want an answer.
GRACE: This is what I know, Mr. Taaffe. I know about a gun. I know what -- how a gun can factor in.
TAAFFE: Nancy, I appreciate that.
GRACE: No, no. Take a listen to this. You said that it`s in the eye of the beholder. But I still don`t understand how you can`t make this out. Roll it, Liz.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Major announcement in the Trayvon Martin case.
SYBRINA FULTON, TRAYVON MARTIN`S MOTHER: It has been a nightmare. I have been up and down as if I was on a roller coaster.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George Zimmerman will be charged.
ANGELA COREY, FLORIDA`S SPECIAL PROSECUTOR: We filed an information charging George Zimmerman with murder in the second degree. Murder in the second degree.
TRACY MARTIN, TRAYVON MARTIN`S FATHER: We just --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GRACE: We are live in Florida and taking your calls. You are seeing video right here. It just went down. That`s Zimmerman, we believe, with the jacket covering his face. Going into Seminole County jail to get booked.
Ellie, are you telling me he is now appearing on the inmate database?
JOSTAD: Yes, he does Nancy. He comes up in the John e-poll correctional facility database, the inmate search but no mug shot yet.
GRACE: All right. As you can see, there`s going to be conflicting accounts, even amongst eyewitnesses and ear witnesses of what went down that night.
Joining me right now, Daryl Parks. Do we have Daryl Parks? Do we have Daryl Parks, Trayvon Martin`s family attorney also with us in addition to Jasmine Rand. When you get that satellite up, let me know.
It`s so important, Dr. Bill Lloyd, that the forensics are handled perfectly in this case because the forensics are going to make or break this case because you got different conflicting eyewitnesses saying what they saw that night. Was dark. It was rainy. What forensics do you expect and why are they so crucial, doctor?
DOCTOR BILL LLOYD, M.D., BOARD CERTIFIED SURGEON, PATHOLOGIST: Two important points. Gathering the information and processing the information has to be accurate. And precise and properly handled. But just as important as you know from your career in the courtroom is clearly communicating the science of the forensic evidence so that a jury can make a fair and impartial decision.
GRACE: Regarding the forensics, Dr. Lloyd, what about blowback, what is it and why is it important? What about trajectory path and what about GSR, gunshot residue?
LLOYD: When the pistol is fired, it`s a controlled explosion. Energy drives the bullet outside through the barrel. The same energy redirects the gun to load the next bullet h f . During this blowback, there`s going to be a vacuum that`s going to draw fluid and blood back into the weapon and the travel of the bolt if it`s too close to the person firing the weapon, may cause an injury. That is to say, a broken nose could have happened for being too close to the bolt when that 9 millimeter weapon was fired.
GRACE: To Daryl Parks, now joining us out of D.C. This is Trayvon Martin`s family lawyer.
Mr. Parks, I would like to hear your response. We`ve met on the air waves many times, Mr. Parks. And I want to hear your thoughts right now.
DARYL PARKS, TRAYVON MARTIN`S FAMILY ATTORNEY: Well, it`s been overwhelming day for this family. They have gone through so much and to finally have this day where they have finally gotten charges filed against this man.
Nancy, I have to tell you, being there with them it was an overwhelming feeling as they talked to Ms. Corey on the phone and she told them she was filing second-degree murder charges. I mean, they cried. They were overcome by just so much. And so it`s been a long, tough day for them. But they continue this journey on behalf of Trayvon, his life and legacy and on behalf of all those other Trayvon`s that are out there in the world who have been profiled.
GRACE: And so many crime victims, Mr. Parks, that do not have a voice of their own, that count on us, all of us to seek justice. I`m just thinking of his family and hoping for justice. I don`t want mob mentality, Daryl Parks. I don`t want craziness. I don`t want Zimmerman hunted down. I don`t want any of that. I just want justice. Do you agree with that, Mr. Parks?
PARKS: I agree wholeheartedly, Nancy. We want, first of all, we have advocate and continue to advocate peace and calm from everyone. No violence, no nothing. I mean, this is what this family wants. They`ve talked publicly about it.
GRACE: Mr. Parks, please take a look at your monitor. One of Trayvon Martin`s mother`s wishes, I can tell you right now, it`s not alleged. There`s Zimmerman`s new mug shot.
Caryn Starks, psychologist, weigh in.
CARYN STARKS, PSYCHOLOGIST: Nancy, when I look at that mug shot, I see a man who had a little bit of authority and it turned into a superpower. He never should have had a gun. There`s no reason that he should be given that kind of authority, especially when he`s told not to follow the boy and he does it anyway. Who does he think he is? So I think we`re all celebrating that there`s a chance to see what comes of this and that justice will be served.
GRACE: I think you`re right regarding the following. Although Mr. Taaffe and others would tell you otherwise, that is the popular belief. But with me right now is Zahra Umansky. This is Zimmerman`s defense attorney and a 2005 case.
What was your experience with Mr. Zimmerman, Zahra?
ZAHRA UMANSKY, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, Nancy, my experience with George was that he was an assertive client. He did not leave his defense to chance. He was very proactive. He was very involved. And he wanted to make sure that he got the best result in his case. I`m just shocked to see his photo. He`s lost a lot of weight, and he doesn`t look the same to me. Seeing him today.
GRACE: With me, Zahra Umansky who represented Zimmerman. She`s referring to this. We are showing you the new mug shot as it has just appeared in the inmate database there in Seminole County. Step one to justice.
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FULTON: It has been a nightmare, and this is coming from a mother`s perspective.
MARTIN: As a father, it hurts. I`m going to stand strong for Trayvon to make sure his name lives on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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GRACE: Welcome back. We are live in Florida.
To Deborah Roberts, news Florida news anchor network. Deborah, thank you for being with us. What now?
DEBORAH ROBERTS, NEWS ANCHOR, FLORIDA NEWS NETWORK: Well now, the community waits and watches to make sure that the wheels of justice continues to move forward. Everyone really breathed a sigh of relief today with the second degree murder charge. A lot of surprise, a lot of people thought he was mainly going to get a manslaughter charge. But at the same time, there was a lot of relief. The race riots, the fears of those hopefully diminished quite, you know, greatly.
And so now, we are going to just wait watch and hopefully everyone take a collective sigh of relief again and continue to support everyone, including the city of Sanford. You know, a lot of people have suffered in central Florida, including, of course, the Martin family first and foremost, but Zimmerman as well and the city of Sanford.
So really right now, we`re just waiting to see.
GRACE: Jean, murder two is the highest charge Corey could have done with. As they call it information, a charge not a grand jury. What are the lesser charges a jury could come back guilty with. The bond hearing is set for tomorrow morning. Do you think it will go forward?
JEAN CASAREZ, IN SESSION CORRESPONDENT: I think it will go forward. The bond hearing lesser charges, manslaughter. But before that, Nancy, there will be a pretrial evidentiary hearing where the defense again will assert "Stand Your Ground." Charges can be tossed up at the culmination of that.
GRACE: OK. So Jean, we have murder two, you got voluntary, is there an involuntary charge?
CASAREZ: There is an involuntary manslaughter in Florida, yes. But the manslaughter that would fit this would be an intentional act that caused the death of Trayvon Martin.
GRACE: So potentially to you, Eleanor Odom, a jury will be looking at murder 2, we are going to have a bond hearing most likely, murder 2, voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. Weigh in.
ELEANOR ODOM, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes, that`s right, Nancy. And of course, the judge at the probable cause hearing could always say hey, I will kick this down to a lesser charge like voluntary or I involuntary. So, that`s another opportunity, another bite at the apple, if you will, for the defense.
GRACE: OK. And to you, Rodriguez. This is your jurisdiction. Do you expect to bond hearing to go down in the next 24 hours as SOP?
RODRIGUEZ: Yes. He will have the initial appearance and bond hearing tomorrow morning.
GRACE: And Manuelian, weigh in.
MANUELIAN: Yes. I think the probable cause hearing, they will have an opportunity to assess the value of the case so it may get dropped at the probable cause hearing. We have to see.
GRACE: And Caryn Starks, you`ve looked at the mug shot we`ve just gotten and just got it in the. What do you see?
STARKS: I see a person who looks very, very frightened, Nancy. He is just staring straight ahead. He lost a lot of weight. And rightfully so, he should be scared. None of this makes a lot of sense. I`m so curious to see what the outcome will be.
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COREY: Those of us in law enforcement are committed to justice for every race, every gender, every person of any persuasion whatsoever. They are our victims. We know one category as prosecutors, that`s v, it`s not a b, it`s not a w, it`s not an h, it`s v for victim.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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GRACE: Let`s stop and remember Navy petty officer third class Mark Cannon, 31, Lubbock, Texas, killed Afghanistan, on a second tour served in Iraq, bronze star, purple heart, Navy and marine corps achievement medals. Lost his life giving aide to a wounded marines. Dreamed of being a physicians who loved football, basketball.
Leaves behind father, Tom, a retired judge. Mark Cannon, American Hero.
Thanks to our guest but especially to you. And happy birthday to our superstar Matt, been with me since court TV days and happy birthday to Marc Klaas.
I want to thank you for being with us tonight. Coming up next, you can see more on the Trayvon Martin case with Dr. Drew.
And until tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp eastern. Good night, friend.
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