walking while black - Trayvon Martin

[Cynical Ninja]

I get what you're saying.

But, Zimmerman chose a private defense and eluded his first pro bono attorneys - he basically went rogue and did interviews, set up a website to solicit money, contacted the state attorneys office...against those attorneys' advice. They may not have been able to operate pro bono all the way through, but George was basically creating his own defense strategy at that time. They dropped him. That's when O'Mara came into the picture.

Zimmerman probably could have chosen a public defender as well.

Definitely, Zimmerman could have avoided trial altogether if he had been willing to testify and cross-examined at a hearing as to his version of events and been granted immunity from the judge using the Stand Your Ground laws. He waived that option to go to trial using standard self defense instead.

It's not that George didn't have other options, this is the defense route he's chosen. IMO.

ETA: Posting at same time as user and Adub.

Thanks for that now I understand the circumstances of how he has ended up begging for donations online, like someone else mentioned I think could be using the begging site to help his case.

“Well all these people here who donated to my case so obviously they think I'm innocent”. I'm sorry but that just doesn't wash for me and I'm pretty sure it won't wash with the jury either.

Why didn't he choose to testify and give his version of events at the time? Because of a fear of further incriminating himself? Because he seems to be doing a good job of that himself in the period leading up to the trial.