Social Justice
George Zimmerman Waives Right To Speedy Trial
George Zimmerman, who has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, waived his right to a speedy trial.
George Zimmerman, who has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, waived his right to a speedy trial. Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Hara, filed the motion in court this morning. He also filed a second motion asking for more time to prepare for his defense.
What exactly is ‘waiving your right to a speedy trial’? It means the move falls more into trial strategy than a lawyer’s incompetence.
In the constitution under the Sixth Amendment, the right to a speedy trial is guaranteed. This means, the defendant will be bought to trial for the alleged crime within a reasonable period of time since their arrest. It also gives them the right to a jury trial.
Under Florida law, George Zimmerman who was charged with a felony, case must be heard within 175 days. For a misdemeanor it is 90 days.
So what does this mean for George Zimmerman? Usually, when a lawyer waives the right to a speedy trial, this means they are asking for more time to prepare for their defense. The move means it could be October at the earliest or much later before the start of his second-degree murder trial.