In February, the Zimmerman Legal Defense Fund Trust raised $33,782.50, exceeding our monthly fund-raising goal. To everyone who has given their support, thank you very much.

When we launched the new GZDefenseFund.com website, we gave a general accounting for how much money had been raised, and how it had been spent as of January 1, 2013. The following is an accounting of how much has been raised between January 1, 2013 and March 3, 2013, along with a description of how those funds have been allocated (most of the March fixed expenses, including George’s living expenses, are accounted for in this breakdown):

Total Raised between January 1 and March 3, 2013: $53,611.11

Expenses for January 1 - March 3, 2013: $43,670.58

Experts: $16,000
Household / Living Expenses: $11,734.66 (includes most March expenses)
Security: $500.00
Law Firm Support and Infrastructure: $8,716.92
Case Related Expenses: $5,879.31
Fund Management Fees: $645.94
Other Expenses: $193.75

This leaves $9,940.53 on hand. With most of the fixed March expenses paid, these funds are being regarded as reserves for April expenses. The $16,000 allocated for Experts has allowed us to retain three experts and an investigator, but we have greater need for expert assistance to properly prepare.

Meeting our $30,000 goal for March will be critical as we prepare the defense for trial. Funds raised in March will be used to retain the remaining experts we require and to ensure promised payment according to our agreements with experts already on board. We must declare all our experts to the court by March 27. In the next weeks, we will also be incurring many case-related expenses, which will include transcripts for key depositions.

The outpouring of support has exceeded our expectations. We are hopeful that support will continue so we may finance the next phase of the defense.

We received the following email from a supporter yesterday:

Mr. Zimmerman,

I have to say I am personally very sorry for jumping to a "Guilty" conclusion when I first heard and read about this unfortunate incident. I was certain, absolutely certain, that you were guilty, but today I can truthfully say that I'm not anywhere near as sure as I once thought. In fact, now that a bigger and fuller picture has been made public, I honestly believe you acted in self-defense absolutely!

Mr. Zimmerman, I sincerely hope that once you have your trial that the jury aren't blinded by previous thoughts and are given all the evidence to ensure a fair trial.

Best of luck Mr. Zimmerman and please know that you have a supporter rooting for you from Canada.

When we relaunched this GZDefenseFund.com website, we declared a fundraising goal of $30,000 per month, and we envisioned we'd be defending this case for at least the next 6 months. $30,000 per month is barely enough to defend the case the way we need to, but it is also more than we realistically hoped we could raise. Nonetheless, in the 3 weeks since we renewed our call for support for George's defense, we have raised almost $28,000. The majority of these funds remain unspent, and have been held in reserve to pay for necessary experts.

This money means a number of things for the defense:

It Gives Us Hope

Your donations have let us know we are not alone in our belief that George is innocent and deserves a fair trial. We get a lot of hate mail, and there are a number of forces aligned against us in our pursuit of justice for George, and it is at times disheartening. The fact that many people are willing to donate generously to George's defense gives us inspiration. You have our gratitude, and we want you to know we could not do this without your support.

It Rallies Others to Our Aid

Because, in part, of our success raising funds over the last 3 weeks, we have been able to secure the commitment of experts who are willing to work at reduced fees, and, in some cases, who are willing to defer their fees. We have many more experts to secure before the Court's March 27th deadline, but your strong support has allowed us to make progress faster than we could have imagined.

It Keeps Us Afloat

Both Mark and Don have made personal and financial sacrifices to defend this case, and a number of interns and staffers have done so as well. We are all used to doing lots of work without many resources. We consider the donations, which cover the modest costs required to help us keep the day-to-day operation functioning, a Godsend.

It Helps George

George has worked to cut his personal expenses to a minimum, and your donations are allowing him and Shellie get by during an enormously difficult time. George, again, extends his thanks to you.

When we set our goal of raising $30,000 per month for 6 months, we were hoping the Court would grant us at least a couple extra months to prepare our defense. Unfortunately, the Court denied our request for more time, and we're currently on a firm track to begin a Self-Defense Immunity Hearing on April 22, and if we do not win immunity, a trial on June 10, 2013. This fast-track scenario is causing us to consider unconventional maneuvers such as the idea of combining the Immunity Hearing with the trial. We are, however, undaunted, and we will continue to fight to provide George with the best defense possible.

This next month is critical. To meet the Court's schedule, we must have all our experts lined up by March 27th. The Court has made it clear that there will be no adjustments to the trial schedule based upon either side's inability to meet this timeline. While we have been able to get some experts to defer payment, possibly until after trial, their decision to do so is made easier by our ability to raise funds. That means the next four weeks will be the most important fundraising month of any month yet or yet to come. Because of these realities, every dollar donated will be multiplied threefold in regard to its ability to allow us to secure the resources we need.

Since the Court denied the defense team’s MOTION TO CONTINUE, donations to the Zimmerman Legal Defense Fund Trust have been on the rise. In the last 24 hours the fund has taken in more than $11,000. That means that we’ve raised a little more than $18,000 since we relaunched the GZDefenseFund.com website last week.

The $18,000 raised so far will allow the defense team to secure one of about half a dozen critical experts, and provide basic living expenses for George, and cover operating expenses associated with the case.

This is a very encouraging beginning. The fact that hundreds of people from around the country were moved to support the defense effort tells us that we are not alone in our fight to prove George’s innocence.

That said, we have a long way to go. We will be posting frequent updates regarding the status of the fund, along with the progress your donations help us make.

On February 5, Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson issued a press release announcing that she is introducing a Congressional Resolution to Honor Trayvon Martin and Seek End to Racial Profiling. The resolution urges the repeal of Stand Your Ground laws.

Congresswoman Wilson made the following statement:

"Today, Trayvon Martin would have celebrated his 18th birthday. We all know the tragic circumstances surrounding his murder: Trayvon was racially profiled, chased, made to fight for his life, and ultimately murdered. Yet we as a nation have yet to take substantive action to stop such a heartbreaking incident from happening again."

Congresswoman Wilson is wrong for several reasons:

1. There is no evidence that George Zimmerman racially profiled Trayvon Martin. Considering many aspects of George's life, not of least of which his mixed ethnic background, the racial diversity that was part of his upbringing, and the advocacy work he did as an adult, the claim that George Zimmerman is a racist is absurd, unfounded, and irresponsible. Moreover, all the information released from the FBI -- which conducted a civil rights investigation on this matter -- demonstrate no evidence of racism at all on the part of George. Rather, it documents the opposite.

2. George has a very strong self-defense case, and we are confident that in Court, George will be found not guilty of murder. As a sitting congresswoman, Representative Wilson should know that in the United States, citizens are constitutionally entitled to a fair trial, and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. They are not to be convicted by biased innuendo based upon an intentional ignorance of the facts, tossed about in a pandering way. For a person in a leadership role to ignore these significant principles denigrates the process and the Constitution she swore to uphold.

3. The Zimmerman case is not a "Stand Your Ground" case, it is a straight-forward self-defense case. The controversial part of the so-called "Stand Your Ground" law is the inclusion of language that removes the duty to retreat before using deadly force. George Zimmerman was on his back suffering blows from Trayvon Martin when he fired his weapon in self-defense. George had no opportunity to retreat, and you cannot stand your ground when you are on your back. No one who has taken the time to read and understand this statute would suggest that the facts of this case fit that limited portion of the statute.

Congresswoman Wilson's statement is wildly inappropriate. She must know that her position as a distinguished representative in Congress gives her words weight and credibility, and she should not be promoting such unmeasured bias on a pending, undecided legal case.

If you have an opinion regarding Congresswoman Frederica Wilson's statement, you are entitled to express it by calling her office, sending her a letter, or emailing her South Florida Communications Director.

Rep. Frederica Wilson | FL-24
18425 NW 2nd Ave Suite 355
Miami Gardens, FL 33169

305-690-5905

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.