George Zimmerman’s attorney is asking a Florida judge to waive his right to a “Stand Your Ground” hearing, reports ABC.
The hearing, set for sometime in April, would have possibly dismissed murder charges if Zimmerman could prove he killed Trayvon Martin in self-defense. Zimmerman will still stand trial on June 10 to plead his case. The Grio reports that it will likely result in a jury determining the outcome.
Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Mara, said that his client believes that it’s better to be found not guilty of murder charges than being granted immunity. “George wants a jury of his peers to decide the case,” said O’Mara, adding that an acquittal at trial is preferable to a judge granting Zimmerman immunity.
The stress of the trial has caused Zimmerman, who is charged with second degree murder, to gain 105 pounds, bringing his weight up to nearly 300 pounds.
A number of other pretrial issues were also discussed in court. The defense and the prosecution debated over the validity of claims made by Trayvon Martin’s girlfriend. The unidentified teenage girl claims she was on the phone with Martin during the scuffle between the men on February 26, 2012. The defense also sought criminal history on Martin in addition to his social media records. Authorities will reportedly fork over the documents and the judge will determine if the defense should receive them.