ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) – The wife of George Zimmerman pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to a reduced charge of perjury for lying in a 2012 Florida court proceeding concerning her husband’s arrest in the killing of Trayvon Martin, according to court records.
Circuit Judge Marlene Alva in Sanford accepted a deal in which Shellie Zimmerman agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor perjury rather than the original charge of felony perjury in an official proceeding.
Zimmerman was ordered to serve one year of probation, perform 100 hours of community service and write a letter of apology to Judge Kenneth Lester, in whose court the perjury occurred.
George Zimmerman was acquitted in July of murder in Martin’s death, but his wife still faced the perjury charge for telling Lester that they had no money at a bond hearing. At the time, the couple had accumulated $135,000 from donors to an online legal defense fund.
