By Douglas Stanglin, USA TODAY
A Florida judge Thursday set a $1 million bail for George Zimmerman, who
is charged with killing Trayvon Martin, ruling that a higher bond was
needed because of concern that the defendant might try to flee the
court's jurisdiction.
USA TODAY's Yamiche Alcindor reports that
Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Lester ordered that Zimmerman remain in
Seminole County and submit to electronic monitoring at his own expense.
Zimmerman
would be required to put up 10% to be freed. It was not immediately
clear how long it would take for him to leave jail.
Lester had
revoked Zimmerman's initial $150,000 bond because of concerns that the
defendant and his wife had tried to deceive the court over their extent
of their financial assets.
"Under any definition, the defendant
has flaunted the system," the judge wrote. "Counsel has attempted to
portray the defendant as being a confused young man who was fearful and
experienced a moment of weakness and who may have also have acted out of
a sense of 'betrayal' by the system. Based upon all the evidence
presented, this court finds the opposite. The defendant tried to
manipulate the system when he has been presented the opportunity to do
so."