Defense Attorney: Zimmerman Will Plead Not Guilty To Charges

ORLANDO (CBS4) — The attorney for neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman says his client will plead not guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin., and his new lawyer said he has two hurdles to overcome; convincing a judge to grant a bond, and allowing Zimmerman to await trial someplace else than Sanford.

Zimmerman was booked into the Seminole County jail Wednesday night after he was charged with Second Degree murder in Martin's death. "We voluntarily surrendered him to law enforcement, with the realization that the charges were going to come," said attorney Mark O'Mara shortly after Zimmerman was charged.

"I think anyone who would be charged with second degree murder would be scared, so yes, I'm certain that he's frightened."

"I think he's troubled by the fact the state decided to charge him, but I've spoken to him about the process, the prosecutor knows the evidence much better than I do right now," O'Mara said. " She's professional, she's doing her job as a prosecutor, she's made a decision, and now we'll see what the next step brings."

The next step will be a bond court appearance expected sometime Thursday, but O'Mara faces a tough time in court. In Seminole County, second degree murder is considered a non-bondable offense, meaning defendants usually remain in jail until trail.

"My hope is the judge will grant a bond and it will be a bond that his family can make, they are not a family of means, that's going to be difficult to begin with, and normally that the conditions are that he stay local. I think that may be difficult. I think nobody would deny that if George Zimmerman were to walk doen the street today he would be at risk. That's just the reality. That's the way things are right now. So we need to protect him."

He admitted that Zimmerman has been the object of anger, confusion, "and even some hatred."  He said Zimmerman needs to be protected.

"I want him to get to his trial, so a judge and jury and I can help resolve this."

O'Mara said Zimmerman is worried about getting a fair shake in court.

"He's concerned about getting a fair trial and a fair presentation. There's obviously been a lot of information flowing. I think a lot of it has been both premature and maybe inappropriate. I don't think a case like this should be tried here and it should not be. I don't think the prosecutors is going to try it before cameras and I'm glad to hear that," he said.

O'Mara also believes with an arrest, the time has come to town down the rhetoric and allow the system to work.

"Nobody wanted Trayvon Martin to be pre-judged as he was walking down that street," he said.  "I ask that people not pre-judge George Zimmerman and please do not pre-judge the criminal justice system; It's going to work. We just need to let it work."

He says he's "hoping that the community will calm down" now that charges have been filed and the case is moving forward. He didn't want to talk about his strategy for proving Zimmerman's defense, that he fired at Marin in self-defense after Martin attacked him.

He said he does know how he'll approach the case.

"Mr Zimmerman needs a very good and focused defense, and we're going to build him one."