Former neighborhood watch volunteer, accused of shooting an unarmed teen in February, has appealed for a new judge to preside over his case. Zimmerman claims Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester is biased and has made belittling comments about him. After filing an official appeal on Tuesday in Dayton Beach, Florida, court proceedings have been put on hold until a court has the opportunity to review the appeal.
Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty and claims self-defense. According to abcnews.com, George Zimmerman said in an appeal filed with the 5th District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach that he fears he would not be able to get a fair trial if Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester continues presiding over the case.
Below is a video discussing the topic from Al Sharpton’s MSNBC show Politic Nation:
BMWK, what do you think about the latest developments in this case? Should Zimmerman be allowed get a new judge?
Devout Player Hater says
GZ is not entitled to the recusal of Judge Lester. A criminal defendant is entitled to an impartial trier of fact. In this case, GZ has apparently demanded a jury trial. Thus, the trier of fact is the jury ‘not’ Judge Lester. It is the jury that must be impartial. The fact that Judge Lester is presiding over the case does not in any way influence the impartiality of the juror. Judge Lester’s role is to rule on the admissibility of evidence and control the proceeding such that GZ gets a fundamental fair trial. It is because of this that GZ’s motion for recusal was “insufficient” as a matter of law. The Florida 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will likewise deny the petition for writ of prohibition.