The lead detective in the George Zimmerman murder trial is not taking any chances. Chris Serino, the former Sanford police major-crimes investigator, has hired famed lawyer Jose Baez to represent him, according to The Miami Herald.
Serino became a central figure in the case when evidence showed he had filed an arrest affidavit a few weeks after the shooting of Trayvon Martin, even though his chief felt there was not enough evidence to charge Zimmerman.
The lead detective in the George Zimmerman murder trial has hired famed lawyer Jose Baez to represent him as he maneuvers the next steps of the contentious, high-profile case, The Miami Herald has learned.
Chris Serino, a former Sanford police major-crimes investigator, became a controversial figure when evidence revealed he had quietly filed an arrest affidavit a few weeks after the shooting death of Miami Gardens teenager Trayvon Martin, even as his chief publicly said there wasn’t enough evidence to make a case. In an FBI report, Serino told agents he was pressured to file charges by African-American colleagues in the department.
While Serino did not speak to The Miami Herald, a spokesman for Baez confirmed he had been hired to look out for his interests in the case and stated he is not planning to file a lawsuit.
“He wants his own counsel — he’s intimidated. It might not be a friendly deposition,” said Baez spokesman Michael Wright to The Miami Herald.
Baez is famous nationwide for representing Casey Anthony, a Florida mother charged with killing her child in 2008 after her disappearance, and who was acquitted.
Fifteen-year department veteran Serino is scheduled, like many others, to give his sworn testimony to prosecutors and Zimmerman’s defense team.
Tape-recorded interviews show Serino was skeptical of Zimmerman from the start and even grilled him with inconsistencies in his story days later. [NBC]