George Zimmerman Jail Transcripts and Bank Records

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Mon Jun 18, 2012 at 09:50:20 PM EST
Tags: George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin (all tags)

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I've uploaded the George Zimmerman jail transcripts and bank records. The transcripts are all in one document so you don't have to download 6 separate transcripts. The bank records may take a while to open, as they are 34 pages and 2.64 MB.

The links to the audio of the calls are here.

Update: Mark O'Mara told Piers Morgan tonight he will introduce another conversation at the June 29 bail hearing. In it, George and Shellie discuss her testifying at the April 20 hearing. George tells her, "Before you testify, pray first and tell the truth." [More...]

O'Mara said the tapes are significant to the one minor issue of whether Shellie knew the amount of money that was in the account, and that clearly she did. He said they told the court of the funds four days after the April 20 hearing.

O'Mara said not one of the 154 calls from the jail show an intent to deceive the judge. He said the speaking in "simplistic code" of 155 instead of $155,000 may have been to keep guards and inmates from overhearing. (On one call, Zimmerman tells Shellie other inmates want to use the phone and the guards will be coming for it shortly.)

O'Mara said "they didn't tell the judge the absolute truth." He said it was due to mistrust of the system and the judge, based on what they had been going through and what they were suddenly facing with the state's attorney trying to keep him in jail, but it was not an intent to deceive the judge.

As to credibility, he acknowledged it's a factor, but said it should not affect the core issue, which is what happened with Trayvon Martin. He said the objective evidence -- forensic evidence, witness statements and injuries -- should be more important.

O'Mara also said Zimmerman didn't lie to him. He stated, as he has before, that he never asked Zimmerman about the fund because he didn't know about it. He say GZ brought up the paypal account with him (during their discussion about closing down his internet presence) and George immediately agreed to turn over the money to O'Mara, which he did. There's a check in the bank records from GZ to O'Mara for $122,393.04, written on April 25.

In other calls released today, George talks about an inmate whose clothes were lost in the laundry. George tells Shellie he wanted to give him some of his clothes but didn't think he'd be allowed to. He also talks about how thankful he has been for the chaplains at the jail. "I mean I owe the chaplains here so much and, I can never repay them." He and his wife seem to have a mutually supportive relationship, repeatedly expressing little endearments to each other.

When I listen to O'Mara, I often get the sense he's not talking to the public but the Judge, as if he knows what he says will be reported back to him. He always seems to want to pacify the judge. Tonight he said "there's no question Judge Lester stuck his neck out in granting bond to George Zimmerman" by letting him remain in hiding and relieving him of other standard bond conditions. O'Mara didn't say a word about the law favoring Zimmerman or even that the Judge should give him another chance. While overall I think he's doing a good job, sometimes I think he is a bit too ready to acknowledge his client's shortcomings and not forceful enough about his innocence.

I don't know who "Ken" is on the tapes, but in addition to being in charge of the paypal account, he also was in direct contact with O'Mara. From the last call on 4/17:

ZIMMERMAN: Have you heard at all from O’Mara?
SHELLIE: I have not heard from O’Mara, but Ken did.
ZIMMERMAN: Oh, really?
SHELLIE: Mm hmm.
ZIMMERMAN: Why?
SHELLIE: Um, they were just, you know, working some stuff out.
ZIMMERMAN: Mm. Okay.
SHELLIE: But I can't, I don’t wanna say.
ZIMMERMAN: Yeah, good idea. Okay.
SHELLIE: But just like logistical stuff.
ZIMMERMAN: I gotcha, I got it, I got it. And is it all worked out?
SHELLIE: Um, yeah, yeah, they seem to be positive and, like Ken was saying like I'm feeling much better about this whole thing today after talking to him....

I don't think Zimmerman ever tried to keep the paypal fund secret. On his Facebook page which he opened April 10, the day after the website went live, he made several updates up until his surrender on the 11th, including this one saying he would no longer be able to access the site but the paypal link would still work. As on the website, he said the money would be going to living expenses and his "legal defense." In another, he thanks the person who set up the site.

And on April 25, "Ken" posted this comment on the blog Conservative Treehouse when the site went down, assuring those who had donated that George would receive the money. These updates were posted to his now-defunct website while he was in jail.

The State's Attorney's office today said more discovery would be released in the coming days.

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George Zimmerman Jail Transcripts and Bank Records | 50 comments (50 topical)

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I think... (5.00 / 3) (#5)
by DebFrmHell on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 02:07:33 AM EST

that after reading through all of those transcripts I no longer know what to think about George Zimmerman. I actually feel kind of bad for him.

I think I wanted him to be more of an azzhat and he doesn't come across that way. He even feels badly for an inmate that got ripped off and losing all of his stuff.

He never really even met with MOM except in passing for the recusal of Judge R.

MOM met with Shellie and she reinforced how much she liked him to her husband.

There was so much concern about his family's safety and what they were dealing with pertaining to the media. And the purchase of the bullet proof vest. One for Shellie, one for MOM, and one for himself. Their Security Council consisted of what, his father and brother?

There is the money issue. But it looks like his mother had lent him money to stay in hiding. He was down to about $500.00 up until then. I think it is safe to assume he had been living on his charge cards. They were a priority for him to pay off, IMO, in case he had to resort to them again. He even has a check paying back his mother within a couple of weeks of the loan. Looks like Mrs. Dean probably got paid back also.

His sister Susie/Grace was intrumental in teaching Shellie how to set up the accounts so that funds could be transferred. Shellie seems clueless as to a lot of those machinations. He says that RZ, Jr. has/had control of that account. That RZ transfers the PP funds into GZ's account an from there it is disbursed into other accounts.

The website was established on the 8th of April and closed out by the 26th, IIRC, so the sudden influx of that kind of cash available has to be mind-blowing. I never got the impression that fleeing was even considered an option. He seemed to be genuinely grateful for support.

Anywhoooo. Putting all of these transcripts out in proper context instead of just parts of them changed some of my presumptions of him and his wife. I had previously thought she was the smarter of the two.

That isn't so much of a "code." Especially, since both seemed to forget on occasion to use it.

Just personal observations. Certainly, not legal.

I do feel sorry for him (5.00 / 1) (#20)
by ruffian on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 06:05:56 AM EST

I think he made a horrible mistake that he will be paying for in one way or another for the rest of his life. IMO that is fair since his mistake cost another man his life. We can still have sympathy for him.


"A mistake that he will be paying... (none / 0) (#75)
by heidelja on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 01:38:38 PM EST

...for in one way or another for the rest of his life. IMO that is fair since his mistake cost another man his life."

Possibly you do not mean this the way it might sound. I question it because MANY have been involved in incidences resulting in another's death....even involving guns. They go seen later as inadvertant because they were determined accidental. Are they expected to "pay for" their "mistakes" the rest of their lives? Is GZ's situation involving a gun too incomprehensible to be thought of as an incidence resulting in an accidental death?


please stay on topic (none / 0) (#76)
by Jeralyn on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 01:45:06 PM EST

of jail records and bank statements. Shootings and guns are not the topic.


: So what.... (none / 0) (#82)
by heidelja on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 05:07:05 PM EST

...might be the "collateral damages" of the jail phone recordings and bank statements?
By comments here, only 6 of the 155 "tapes" seems to possibly engender a positive view of GZ that he once did not enjoy. How much more endeared can GZ become with the release only a few of the others?
Central Florida News 13 in Orlando early this afternoon reported that to them the bank statements revealed the location (state) where GZ had been in hiding! Does this suggest bad ethical news reporting or more so malice of the State towards GZ for not fully redacting the statements?

the goverment can be so injust (2.67 / 3) (#18)
by Steve27 on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 05:58:22 AM EST

It is clear that Zimmerman is being persecuted by the goverment, by established society. His only crime is that he actually got involved with his community. Unlike so many of his neighbors who would not come out of their homes to help him as he was being beaten.


I'm afraid that... (none / 0) (#85)
by unitron on Wed Jun 20, 2012 at 12:55:36 AM EST

"I had previously thought she was the smarter of the two."

Unfortunately for them and the mess in which they find themselves, I"m afraid that the answer to the question of which of the two is the smarter is "neither".


What would bail have been if paypal (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by Steve27 on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 05:50:23 AM EST

money was known by the court?

Would the judge have imposed a higher bail if he knew about all the paypal money? The paypal money was for Zimmerman's legal defense. Wouldn't the judge have not included it in the calculation of funds available to Z to make bail? If so, why can't O'Mara argue that Zimmerman assumed the paypal money was not relevant to questions about what assets he had that could be used to make bail?

Strategy, strategy (4.25 / 4) (#17)
by cboldt on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 05:57:05 AM EST

-- why can't O'Mara argue that Zimmerman assumed the paypal money was not relevant to questions about what assets he had that could be used to make bail? --

He could, and the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. Zimmerman has a deep well to draw from, and we don't know yet how much he may be able to raise. If bond represents your personal assets at risk, to discourage flight, public goodwill just doesn't fit the bill.

There are serious legal issues with Lester's order to hold Zimmerman without bail. The order does not meet the legal requirements for eliminating bail; and no wonder, because the fact pattern doesn't admit writing an order that gives the legal justification for holding without bail. O'Mara isn't arguing that, either.

Maybe O'Mara is being milquetoast so as to allow Zimmerman opponents to paint themselves as the unreasonable heavies. It seems to play well in the interview with Piers Morgan, who wants to insist that Zimmerman can't be believed for anything, and O'Mara says, "Yep, he sure has hurt his credibility." At some point, the facts start to speak for themselves.


: My comment... (none / 0) (#77)
by heidelja on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 01:49:25 PM EST

...at 08:42 AM June 08, 2012 to another RE: The Orlando Sentinel article entitled "George Zimmerman's bond hearing set for June 29" dated June 6, 2012 was:
O'Mara practices the art perfected by ledgendary old Southern ball coaches. They poor mouthed their own team to inflate the egos of the opposition to the point of overconfidence. In law it works to make the defendent (by their own admission) gain sympathy by being unjustly attacked by an adversary even when they fully admit to the (unreasonable and overreaching) allegation.
O'Mara's most accurate statement can be found from June 1 immediately following the State's surprise (grandstanding) attack. He said then that the State was only doing its job as an adversary.
There is no point for O'Mara to attack the State's unreasonable and overreaching allegations. Plenty of others through the free press are doing it for him!

Per comments above it might be working, and by yours below I will slightly tweak it (see below).

We had a long thread about that the other day (none / 0) (#19)
by ruffian on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 05:59:03 AM EST

Your last statement is the most likely argument they will make- that GZ did not think he could uses these funds for bail money.


the problem is (5.00 / 2) (#27)
by becca70 on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 06:23:49 AM EST

He talked about using it for bail money and did use it for the only bail money that was paid.

I personally think if he'd admitted to it the bail amount would've been the same.


that's a misleading interpretation (5.00 / 1) (#59)
by Jeralyn on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 11:31:09 AM EST

read the transcript. Shellie proposed it, he said he'd think about it. Only $5,000 was used and it was after the bail hearing.


: "only five thousand" was used. (none / 0) (#80)
by willisnewton on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 02:27:16 PM EST

Only five thousand was needed, when combined with the $10K IOU that father presumably has since forfeited to the bondsman. The actual amount seems immaterial. He drew from the fund or he didn't. How is the amount relevant?
I think the transcription may be off when they are speaking about if it's 50, pay the 15. Fifteen and fifty are sound-alike words and it makes more sense to me to think he is saying "pay the 50" - I hope this can be cleared up on the 29th.
I think maybe what Jeralyn is trying to say is that GZ didn't think the money could be used for bond until after the bond hearing, when he knew the amount needed and then had it used it for that purpose, after consultation or consideration of some kind. This is one explanation for the idea that he thought the money couldn't be used for bond, but his conversations seem to say he felt the money could be used for bond. "If it's 50 pay the (whatever.) " Whatever the whatever amount is, he's saying it can be used for bond, and he's saying it before the bond hearing. Maybe he was unsure later.
I'm not sure what "changed his mind," if ever it changed, but GZ talking to his lawyer or family member who spoke to the lawyer seems a likely thing to consider. There has been some statements to the press about the decision making during this time but I don't know exactly what was said. But IIRC, the lawyer tells the story that he didn't know all about the monies until after GZ made bond. So the exact sequence of events is still unclear to me, and the court has heard little of any of this that makes it all clear.
Perhaps on the 29th it will become clear, or perhaps GZ will plead the fifth, as is his right and we won't know more until and if Shellie is brought to court for her alleged perjury, and she doesn't plead the fifth or plead guilty to this or a lesser charge in a plea deal.
In my opinion however little of this reflects well on his credibility, or chances of making bond again. How any of this may affect his trial is unknown to me.

I think he would've liked (none / 0) (#51)
by spectator on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 10:36:55 AM EST

to set it around 500k, and was annoyed he didn't have the say to set it in stone.

just a wild guess.


So... (5.00 / 1) (#21)
by becca70 on Tue Jun 19, 2012 at 06:08:05 AM EST

"I don't know when I'm going to get to see him again"
"Hmmm, we've got to get that bag from him"
"You know what? I think my passport's in that bag"
"Oh really? Well I have one in a safety deposit box"
"Okay you hold on to that"

He never even mentions O'Mara about the bag or passport.

He doesn't know if he'll ever see his lawyer again? They have to get the bag from GZ's lawyer? While talking about GZ's passports they're really talking about Shellie's passport?

You're forgetting that on the paper filed on the 12th that GZ told O'Mara he had no valid passport. Then by the 20th the one in the bag (why would O'Mara sign the declaration on the 12th when he had the one in the bag?) was presented in court. It's obvious from the tapes that GZ also knew about the one Shellie had in the SDB (or as you put it, her passport). If he could tell O'Mara about the one in the bag (that O'Mara had all the time according to you) he could also tell him about the one in the SDB (Shellie's, according to you..still don't know how you're concluding that) and also could've told him about the funds raised.

Why is it so hard for Pro-Zimmerman people to admit when he stuffs up?

If I was on trail I'd want none of you o