The two attorneys who have been representing George Zimmerman announced at a press conference minutes ago that they are withdrawing as his legal counsel.
“On Sunday, we lost track of George, in that he would not return our calls,” attorney Hal Uhrig said. Said attorney Craig Sonner, “I've lost contact with him at this point.”
Sonner and Uhrig, who have been publicly representing Zimmerman in the media, said that Zimmerman has not been answering their phone calls.
The lawyers said Zimmerman called Sean Hannity of Fox News without consulting with them. He also called the office of the special prosecutor in the case, something the attorneys said they'd never have told him to do.
“We were a bit astonished,” Uhrig said. He praised Special Prosecutor Angela Corey's office for declining to speak with Zimmerman without legal counsel.
He added that he thinks Zimmerman is going through post-traumatic stress. “He's largely alone... he's at least emotionally alone.”
Sonner said that he'd be willing to represent Zimmerman again in the future, if Zimmerman were to get back in contact with him.
Both lawyers were adamant that they still believe Zimmerman is innocent, and defended his actions on the night of the shooting at length when questioned by reporters.
However, they said they can't represent him without being in communication with him.
According to Uhrig, Zimmerman had characterized the lawyers working for him as “legal advisors,” not his attorneys.
“I'm not sure what the distinction is, but in his mind there's a distinction,” Uhrig said.
Zimmerman has been in hiding since the shooting. Sonner said on Tuesday that Zimmerman is still in the United States. Both lawyers were repeatedly prodded on his location.
Said Uhrig: “I will not tell you where George Zimmerman is, because I don't know.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/10/sean-hannity-george-zimmerman_n_1416080.html
During that press conference, they revealed that Zimmerman had had a conversation with Hannity.
“We learned that he had contacted Sean Hannity of Fox News directly, not through us, and we believe, I can't confirm this, we believe that he spoke directly with Sean, off the record, and he's not even willing to tell us what our client told him,” attorney Hal Uhrig said.
In an even stranger twist, the site Loop21 published on Tuesday what it said was an email correspondence with Zimmerman. In response to an email asking him to prove he was actually George Zimmerman, the man replied, “Certainly, You can contact Sean Hannity I spoke with him today and he confirmed my identity.”
http://loop21.com/life/george-zimmerman-talks-loop-21-email-correspondence-exclusive?page=2
[Quoted text hidden]
From: REDACTED Mon, Apr 9, 2012 at 5:58 PM
To: Wesley Lowery
Certainly, You can contact Sean Hannity I spoke with him today and he confirmed my identity.
Sincerely,
George Zimmerman
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke.
[Quoted text hidden]
if he called the prosecutor, at least an ethical one, they would have declined to talk to him because he was represented by counsel. They would have been obliged to tell him to obtain consent from his lawyers OR to fire his lawyers.
even then it would be dangerous territory for an opposition attorney.
There's also another possible angle/reason..the financial arrangements...It's gonna cost BIG BUCK$$$$ to defend Zimmerman..he doesn't have that kind of money..so these lawyers may well have asked him to sign away any book or movie rights...or any proceeds freom a lawsuit against NBC..
Remember the whole Casey Anthony fiasco?..where here sleazy lawyer took the case is return for a BIG piece of future movie deal, interview payments, etc. That was OK for the lawyer..even if he got bupkus from it in the end, he got a huge amount of publicity..FREE..and I expect it helped him with his practice..
This case is way different. Anyone who defends Zimmerman is guilty by association in tghe eyes of the left, especially the black community...and hey..let's be honest..that's where the biggest pool of prospective clients is for criminal defense attys.
Speaking of Casey Anthony..anyone see what happened to the lawsuit by the woman whose name Casey used..she made uip the name, and it turned out to be a real person..said she took care of the kid..I think Morgan and Morgan was representing her..
If, in fact, these guys are his lawyers, then they had no business talking to the press about why they are no longer representing him or whether or not they have spoken to him lately. Any communication (or lack of communication for that matter) between Zimmerman and his attorneys is privileged. I think Mr. Zimmerman will be better off without these clowns.