George Zimmerman Will Ask Florida to Cover At Least $200,000 of His Legal Costs

George Zimmerman Will Ask Florida to Cover At Least $200,000 of His Legal Costs
In this July 13, 2013, file photo, George Zimmerman, center, talks to his attorneys Don West, left, and Mark O'Mara during jury deliberations in his trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman was declared not guilty in court and will ask the state of Florida to pay for much of his legal costs. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Gary W. Green, Pool)
Zachary Stieber
8/26/2013
Updated:
7/18/2015

George Zimmerman will ask the state of Florida to reimburse him and his legal team at least $200,000 of his legal expenses from his trial, his attorney said on Monday.

Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder or manslaughter in the trial, which he faced because he killed unarmed youth Trayvon Martin last year. Zimmerman said the fatal shooting was in self-defense.

One of Zimmerman’s attorneys, Mark O'Mara, told the Orlando Sentinel on Monday night that Zimmerman plans to ask the state of Florida to cover $200,000 to $300,000 of legal expenses. State law requires Florida pays all of his costs, because he was acquitted, except for the fee that goes to his lawyers.

Costs include: expert witnesses, travel, photocopies, and video. 

O'Mara said the legal team is still collecting numbers, which is why the final number isn’t nailed down yet.

Zimmerman, 29, was found not guilty in mid-July.

O‘Mara hasn’t been paid anything by Zimmerman, who lived for months without a job and in hiding before his trial. O’Mara charges at a rate of $400 an hour and says he worked on the case for somewhere around 40 hours a week for 16 months.

Also, his co-counsel Don West bills $350 an hour, and there was also his partner Lorna Truett.