Judge Nelson Rules Only Medical Records Pertaining To Injuries Caused By Trayvon Martin Are Relevant

    After carefully reviewing George Zimmerman's complete medical record and considering the prosecution's request to have full access to those records Judge Debra Nelson has ruled that the State will only be granted access to medical records pertaining to injuries caused by Trayvon Martin.

(click link to read original Orlando Sentinel article)

(click link to read the official court order)

SANFORD – Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson is expected to announce her ruling on a state request for a gag order in the George Zimmerman second-degree murder case today.

In the meantime, her ruling on another issue was released today: She gave prosecutors fewer medical records than attorneys for Travon Martin's family had hoped. They had asked for all his medical records. Defense attorneys had squawked, saying that would violate Zimmerman's right to privacy. So the judge looked them over and handed to the state only those that she said were related to injuries Zimmerman suffered the night he shot the unarmed 17-year-old. So the judge looked them over and handed to the state only those that she said were related to injuries he suffered the night he shot the unarmed black 17-year-old.


"Any injuries received that night would clearly be relevant to a self-defense claim, as would any similar injuries present before that night or continuing symptoms after that night," she wrote. "Observations of the defendant's physical appearance surrounding the date of the shooting may also be relevant. However, other medical records relating to the treatment of untreated maladies should not be disclosed."


During a news conference on the courthouse lawn Oct. 19, about two hours before attorneys presented their case to the judge, family attorney Benjamin Crump called for the release of Zimmerman's prescription records.That would be key, he said, to understanding the mind of his son's killer.The judge's ruling, though, kept those under wraps.