George Zimmerman to appear in court, expected to plead not guilty in Trayvon Martin shooting
(CBS/AP) The world will get its first live look at George Zimmerman today when the man at the center of a national firestorm goes before a judge in Sanford, Fla., at 1:30 p.m ET. He will be arraigned on charges of second-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin. He is expected to plead not guilty and invoke Florida's "stand your ground" law.
Pictures: Trayvon Martin shooting
Zimmerman turned himself in to the Seminole County Jail on Wednesday, after special prosecutor Angela Corey announced that her office would be filing charges against him. He was booked into custody at about 8:30 p.m.
Currently, there is no bond in place, although a judge is expected to address that issue today.
The charge of second-degree murder, which carries a possible sentence of 25 years to life in prison surprised some legal experts who thought manslaughter might have been more appropriate .
Until Tuesday, Zimmerman had been represented by Hal Uhrig and Craig Sonner, but the two attorneys stepped down publicly, telling the media that they had not heard from their client in two days and that he was making decisions - such as calling Corey's office and speaking with Fox News host Sean Hannity - without consulting them.
Zimmerman's new attorney, Mark O'Mara, told NBC's "Today" show that is client is worried about getting a fair trial.
"He is a client who has a lot of hatred focused on him. I'm hoping the hatred settles down ... he has the right to his own safety and the case being tried before a judge and jury," said O'Mara.
Complete coverage of the Trayvon Martin case on CBS News
