Subpoenas of Trayvon Martin’s records allowed

George Zimmerman’s attorneys can subpoena Trayvon Martin’s former schools for his discipline records, a judge ruled Friday, but must keep anything they obtain private.

“I think that you’re entitled to those records,” Circuit Judge Debra Nelson said at the Seminole County Courthouse in Florida.

The judge also granted Zimmerman’s request to subpoena Martin’s social media records, as well as those of a girl who says she was on the phone with him before the fatal shooting of Martin, 17, who was not armed.

Zimmerman, 29, is free on bail awaiting trial on seconddegree murder charges in the killing of Martin, an African American shot to death inside a gated community in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26.

Defense attorney Mark O’Mara argued that the records could reveal Martin’s state of mind in the lead-up to the shooting. That, O’Mara said, is crucial to the case.

“The issue in this case is who did what during those couple of minutes that we don’t know what happened,” O’Mara said.

He acknowledged that it “sounds horrible” to attack the character of the teenager, but said that it was necessary for Zimmerman’s defense.

Citing case law, Nelson explained that although Zimmerman didn’t know anything about the 17-yearold before the shooting, the school records could potentially show a history of behavior by Martin relevant to Zimmerman’s self-defense claim.

The judge also granted prosecutors access to Zimmerman’s medical records, though she will review them privately first in order to determine what should be turned over.

She said the state could keep the addresses of civilian witnesses in the case private, but must help the defense coordinate interviews with them.

The medical and school records will not be released to the public, the judge said.

Police said Martin was serving a 10-day suspension at the time of his death because school officials had found him with an empty marijuana baggie.

Zimmerman arrived about half an hour early for the 1:30 hearing, and appeared to have gained a significant amount of weight.

Trayvon Martin’s parents also attended the hearing. At a news conference before the hearing, they accused Zimmerman of needlessly attacking their slain son’s character.

“I feel that Trayvon’s school records are not relevant in this case,” said Martin’s father, Tracy Martin.