Mark O’Mara, George Zimmerman’s, lawyer becomes a media focus as Trayvon Martin case progresses

Similarities are drawn between Casey Anthony’s lawyer and him

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KATE HICKEY,

IrishCentral Editor

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George Zimmerman, the accused, alongside Mark O'Mara, his defense attorney in court

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Mark O’Mara, the Irish American lawyer who has taken on the defense of George Zimmerman in the case of Trayvon Martin’s murder, is piquing the interest of the media and public as the case begins to evolve.

O’Mara became a person of interest when he took on George Zimmerman despite the media frenzy surrounding the murder of 17-year-old Martin in Florida, in February.

Many are asking why he took on the defense of such a reviled man. However, last month when asked why he had taken in on the case O’Mara told AP “It's what I do.

“I've done it for a long, long time. I think I'm pretty good at it. Mr. Zimmerman needs a very good and focused defense so we're going to build him one.”

This week, O’Mara announced that the money raised on Zimmerman’s defense website would be used to pay for his security and living expenses. The defense team was also granted a continuance in order to build their case for Zimmerman.

The Orlando Sentinel looked at the case of Orlando attorney J Cheney Mason, who defended Casey Anthony, in the case of the murder of her child Caylee, as an example of this strange situation.

Mason waved his fees, essentially donating 1,200 hours, an estimated $600,000 of his time.

He said, “I took that case…because I saw a desperate need for that defendant to have experience on that team that she didn't have, and I'm opposed to the death penalty.

"I've done it before. I don't know if I'm going to do it again…I did not anticipate the case was going to be as long and involved as it was."

Just like Mason, O’Mara’s motivations are not monetary. When asked by the Sentinel if he was planning on releasing a book on the case, O’Mara said, “Absolutely not." However, he freely admitted there were benefits to being part of the national audience.

O’Mara said, “I can't deny the fact that everyone out there seems to think this is going to have future benefits for me. I'll deal with it when it comes, if it comes."

He told the newspaper he took the case because it was tailor-made for him. He said, “I really felt I had a skill set to address this case better than most people I know. That sounds really egotistical."

However, once the George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin case is over, O’Mara will most likely be invited to make speeches and benefit from his raised profile.

Casey Anthony’s lawyer said, “He will enjoy the professional satisfaction of having done the right thing.”

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