Facing criminal charges for allegedly harassing and threatening a private investigator, George Zimmerman reportedly begged a Florida court for a public defender as he’s $2.5 million in debt and is unemployed.
Zimmerman, 34, also claimed to have no cars, property or savings, which led the court to ultimately grant his request for a public defender, according to the Blast.
Zimmerman grabbed headlines in 2013 when he was found not guilty of the shooting death of death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Since his acquittal, Zimmerman faced criminal charges for pointing a gun at his then-girlfriend’s head and throwing a wine bottle at an ex’s head. However, both criminal cases were ultimately dropped.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Zimmerman was criminally charged earlier this month for allegedly calling the private investigator 55 times, leaving 36 voicemails, texting him 67 times, and sending him 27 emails over a nine-day period.
Private investigator Dennis Warren was reportedly involved in “Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story,” a Jay-Z-produced docuseries set to air on the Paramount Network in July. For the series, Warren was responsible for reaching out to people involved in the controversial case.
Documents indicated that Warren had reached out to Zimmerman on one occasion to gauge his interest in participating in the documentary. Previous reports indicated that Zimmerman was extremely perturbed that producers had allegedly paid his ex-wife to participate in the documentary and were recording in front of his relatives’ homes.
Zimmerman’s sizable debt came to light days after a Seminole County judge denied the private investigator’s plea for a restraining order against Zimmerman. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the court determined that Warren failed to prove he required protection from Zimmerman.
“I have two 8-year-old twins. I don’t let them play in the front yard anymore unless I’m there armed. They don’t know what’s going on at this point,” Warren said.
Warren’s lawyer said they won’t appeal the judge’s decision and will wait for Zimmerman’s criminal case to unfold, the newspaper reported.
Zimmerman’s arraignment is scheduled for May 30.
[Featured Image: George Zimmerman/Seminole County Sheriff’s Office]
