George Zimmerman wants the state of Florida to reimburse him for the costs of mounting his defense in the Trayvon Martin shooting case. Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, told ABC News today that he plans to file a motion to recoup as much as $300,000 in legal costs spent on defending Zimmerman.
Zimmerman was acquitted in July of second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting of Martin, an unarmed Florida teenager. Zimmerman claimed he shot Martin in self-defense during an altercation. The not guilty verdict triggered protests around the country.
After he was charged, Zimmerman employed a 10-person legal team, which ultimately conducted dozens of depositions, flew in experts, and even ordered up a 3-D animation to be aired toward the end of the trial.
State law requires the reimbursement of all but the most expensive item -- lawyers fees -- estimated at well over $1 million. The state of Florida reported the trial cost it more than $900,000, much of it for security.
O'Mara said it could take four to six weeks before Zimmerman's team can negotiate the reimbursement with the state.
Zimmerman had largely been living off of donations solicited on his website before and during the trial that he said have dried up. His wife, Shellie Zimmerman, faces a criminal charge of perjury for allegedly lying to the court about the amount of donations the couple received.
Last week, Zimmerman appeared in public, a rare occurrence since charges were brought against him. He visited a Kel Tec factory, the company that manufactured the gun he used to kill Martin, and reportedly bought a gun at the store.
