George Zimmerman Apologizes in Court
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: So, Mitt Romney, the Republican presumptive presidential nominee, delivering a speech in Phoenix, Arizona, going after, not surprisingly, the president of the United States on domestic economic issues, on national security issues, foreign policy issues. And we will continue to monitor what he has to say. There's been some speculation that he may make some a appeal to Hispanic voters out there and across the country. We will check in. We will see what he's saying, much more on this story coming up later this hour. A courtroom drama at a bond hearing for the man who shot the unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. George Zimmerman took the stand and surprised everyone as he addressed the Martin family only moments before the judge set a $150,000 bond. CNN's David Mattingly is in Sanford, Florida, for us. David, it was a surprise to folks with Zimmerman on the stand. What did he actually say?</s>DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Wolf. We went into the courtroom today fully expecting to learn something new about the evidence that the prosecution has against George Zimmerman. Instead, we heard from George Zimmerman himself and an apology.</s>MATTINGLY (voice-over): With his freedom on the line, George Zimmerman surprises the courtroom taking the stand at his own bond hearing and speaking directly to the parents of Trayvon Martin.</s>GEORGE ZIMMERMAN, DEFENDANT: I wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your son. I did not know how old he was. I thought he was a little younger than I am. And I did not know if he was armed or not.</s>MATTINGLY: But attorneys for Martin's parents call the apology self-serving, saying Zimmerman had many chances to express remorse before now.</s>BENJAMIN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY OF TRAYVON MARTIN: All throughout, Tracy Martin had tears in his eyes as he watched the killer of his son. And it was devastating that he got to give a self- serving apology to help him get a bond. They were very outraged at that.</s>MATTINGLY: Challenged by the prosecutor on the timing of his apology, Zimmerman says he told police he was sorry and wanted to talk to Martin's parents, but couldn't.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why did you wait so long to tell Mr. Martin and the victim's mother, the father and mother, why did you wait so long to tell them?</s>ZIMMERMAN: I was told not to communicate with them.</s>MATTINGLY: Another surprise, the prosecutor's own investigator called to testify by Zimmerman's attorney. He revealed they do not know who threw the first punch during Zimmerman's deadly fight with Trayvon Martin and voice testing has not determined who was heard shouting for help on the 911 calls.</s>MARK O'MARA, ATTORNEY FOR GEORGE ZIMMERMAN: Did you do any forensic analysis on that voice tape?</s>DALE GILBREATH, INVESTIGATOR, STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE: Did I?</s>O'MARA: Did you or are you aware of any?</s>GILBREATH: "The Orlando Sentinel" had someone do it, and the FBI has had someone do it.</s>O'MARA: Is that part of your investigation?</s>GILBREATH: Yes, it is.</s>O'MARA: And has that given you any insight to the extent that you're aware of it as to the voice?</s>GILBREATH: No.</s>MATTINGLY: Zimmerman can go free on $150,000 bond, but safety is a problem. As a security precaution, Zimmerman's father, mother and wife all testified by telephone.</s>SHELLIE NICOLE ZIMMERMAN, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S WIFE: I have received hate mail.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you reported that to the police?</s>S. ZIMMERMAN: No, I haven't.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you reported that to my boss, Ms. Corey, or the state attorney's office so that somebody can investigate?</s>S. ZIMMERMAN: No, sir.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you keep those threats?</s>S. ZIMMERMAN: I'm sorry?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you keep that hate mail?</s>S. ZIMMERMAN: Yes.</s>MATTINGLY: And security remains the overriding concern behind Zimmerman's release. He has to somehow get out of jail and escape the notice of dozens of cameras outside the jail waiting to see any kind of movement there and then go back into hiding, Wolf, where he was before he turned himself in.</s>BLITZER: We have heard from Trayvon Martin's family attorney. Have we heard directly though from the parents and the family?</s>MATTINGLY: We heard -- we did not hear directly from the family. The parents walked out immediately after the hearing today and they let their attorney do the talking for them. They were very stoic as they were sitting in the courtroom, sometimes speaking quietly to one another, but again when this was over they left quickly and let their attorney express their outrage.</s>BLITZER: David Mattingly on the scene for us. Thanks very much. Let's dig a little bit deeper right now with legal analyst Sunny Hostin, who contributes to "In Session" our sister network truTV, and our senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin.</s>BLITZER: Sunny, first to you. Were you surprised that he was released, he is about to be released on $150,000 bond?</s>SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I was not surprised that he would get some sort of bond package because in Florida, quite frankly, the standard -- the burden, rather, is very high on the prosecution. It's almost beyond beyond a reasonable doubt. So I suspected that he would be given some sort of bond package. I am surprised at the $150,000 bond. I think that's a bit low considering the gravity of the charge here. I mean, with the bond of $150,000, that means he would have to probably put up about $15,000 in cash. While this is a family of limited means, I think that that could be considered very low. The prosecution asked for about $1 million.</s>BLITZER: A lot of us were stunned to see he actually was up on the witness stand, Jeffrey. What do you make of that?</s>JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: I thought today was a home run for George Zimmerman and his lawyer. I thought they really ran rings around the prosecution. They got bail, which is hugely, hugely important, and I think they exposed some weaknesses in the investigation in where things stand with the prosecution, and we will see whether the prosecution can remedy that by the time this case goes to trial, but today this did not look like a very strong case. A long way to go, but today it didn't look that way.</s>BLITZER: Do you agree with that assessment, Sunny?</s>HOSTIN: No, I actually don't. Bottom line is I think the prosecution did a fine job. They didn't want to tip their hand. It's just a bond hearing. You're not going to put out all of your evidence. All of the evidence they relied upon was in the affidavit of probable cause and in that affidavit it says very clearly that it is not a complete recitation of fact. I disagree with Jeff. I don't think the defense ran rings around this prosecution team. I do think that the defense did a good job, but I think what we saw was two very good attorneys, very skilled attorneys doing what they needed to do for their positions.</s>BLITZER: You want to respond to that, Jeff?</s>TOOBIN: I just think the bail issue, for starters, is just so important because this will have implications beyond just the fact that Zimmerman is out. The fact that Zimmerman is out means that his lawyer can put this case in slow motion. He is going to want to delay, delay, delay because his client's out of prison and he now can ask for every test under the sun. He can let emotions cool and he will not have a client who is in prison demanding a trial, when are you going to get me out of here? This is an invitation to the defense to slow things down and from everything we have seen so far, that's precisely what the defense is going to do.</s>BLITZER: Based on what I have heard, Sunny, and you know a lot more about this more than I do, second-degree murder , that is a very, very serious charge, and to be released on $150,000 bond, which really means putting up $15,000 or so, it sounds pretty extraordinary to me, very unusual, but go ahead. Give me your assessment.</s>HOSTIN: It sounded too low to me, but I have spoken with many of the attorneys in Florida who indicate that actually they thought it was sort of high, that that is a high bond for that charge in that area of Florida. But I do agree with Jeff in that this is a win for the defense in the sense that it will put this case on the slow track, no question about that. Defense attorney O'Mara said today to me that this means that the stand your ground hearing, if they're even going have one, is several months down the line. Had Zimmerman remained in jail, that's, I think, a hearing that we would have seen much quicker than that.</s>BLITZER: Sunny Hostin and Jeff Toobin, guys, thanks very much. Mitt Romney and Rice, Condoleezza Rice, what's going on? A surprise pick by Republican voters who say the former secretary of state would make a pretty good vice president. What's going on, on that front? And more Secret Service agents expected to be forced out any moment now -- details of the latest fallout from the prostitution scandal. New information about the crash of a Boeing 737, at least 121 people killed.