Raising The Bar

Huffington Post; July 15, 2013

George Zimmerman will get his gun back following his acquittal in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin -- and his attorney believes he needs it "even more" than before.

"'Yes. [There's] even more reason now, isn't there? There are a lot of people out there who actually hate him, though they shouldn't," Mark O'Mara told ABC News.

Zimmerman, 29, was found not guilty Saturday night on charges of second degree murder. Under Florida law, all evidence used in the case will be released, including the Kel Tec 9 pistol Zimmerman used to kill Martin.

O'Mara, who led Zimmerman's defense, said that his client plans to continue carrying the weapon and now wears a protective vest when he appears in public, ABC News also notes.

"I think that he feels truly in his heart that if he did not have that weapon that night he might not be here," O'Mara said. "[He] would have continued to get beat even though he was screaming for help."

The Justice Department says it is considering whether federal prosecutors will file criminal civil rights charges against Zimmerman. Additionally, a number of civil suits are expected surrounding the case.

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