Zimmerman Judge Disqualified for Prejudice

 Three judge panel rules Judge Lester went a step too far:

The Fifth District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach today ruled that second-degree murder suspect George Zimmerman deserves a new judge.

A three-judge panel voted 2-1 that Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. in Sanford went too far when, among other things, he wrote that Zimmerman is a manipulator...

Yet another case of saying something when shutting up might just be the right thing to do. On the other hand, maybe it was hard justify raising his bond to a million without some charge of serious charge of malfeasance.  But I would think that just citing evidence that Zimmerman had access to ample fund would suffice.

The order was released this afternoon.

There will be no appeal, according to Florida's Office of Attorney General, which had argued in court paperwork that Lester should stay. He was not biased, wrote Assistant Attorney General Pamela Koller. He had merely given Zimmerman a "well-deserved tongue lashing."

Special Prosecutor Angela Corey's office, the one in charge of putting Zimmerman on trial, had no comment...

She may be on shaky ground as well.  She's certainly dealt with the truth much as would an Aes Sedai in one of Robert Jordan's works...

O'Mara had pressed for a new judge, arguing that Zimmerman did not believe he would be treated fairly by Lester because of a July 5 bond ruling.

In that nine-page order, Lester set Zimmerman's bond at $1 million but also accused him of showing "blatant disregard for the judicial system" and "manipulating the system for his own benefit." He also hinted that he might, in the future, charge Zimmerman with contempt of court.

I think the whole trial stinks.  The fact that the police and prosecutors had initially decided not to prosecute, only to charge after a stink was raised in the minority community gives it the stench of a witch hunt and a show trial.