It appears that George Zimmerman and his attorney, Mark O'Mara, got their wish for a new judge to deliberate the case. Circuit Judge Jessica Recksiedler is expected to surrender control of the second-degree murder trial today. Her replacement will be chosen from three remaining felony judges in Seminole County, including: John Galluzzo, a longtime Oviedo lawyer who has represented two dozen murder defendants while in private practice, Kenneth Lester Jr., a 15-year veteran judge who gave Michael Reynolds two death penalties plus a life prison sentence for beating and stabbing a Geneva couple and their 11-year-old child to death in 1998, and Debra S. Nelson, a 13-year judge who was a civil-litigation specialist in private practice.
Court officials issued a statement Tuesday saying Recksiedler is expected to decide what to do no later than Friday, but the picture became clearer today when she signed an order taking herself off the case. Defense attorney Mark O'Mara originally argued against Judge Recksiedler's presiding over the case after becoming aware that her husband is a legal partner of attorney Mark NeJame, who is under contract with CNN to provide analysis of this case.
In the Zimmerman case, the new judge is expected to hear Zimmerman's appeal to be released on bail. He's currently being held without bail at the Seminole County Jail. Meanwhile, several media companies, including the Orlando Sentinel, the New York Times, and CNN, want to ask whoever takes over the case to unseal the court file and give the public access to the evidence gathered by the state. If that happens, prepare for a lot of interesting commentary to take place.
