http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17691459
A Florida neighbourhood watch volunteer accused over the death of an unarmed black teenager could appear in court later to seek bail.
George Zimmerman's lawyer expects a hearing at Seminole County Court to determine whether to post bond.
The 28-year-old emerged from hiding on Wednesday to turn himself in as authorities said they would charge him with second-degree murder.
The 26 February killing of Trayvon Martin, 17, has divided the US.
Mr Zimmerman has spent his first night in jail 45 days after shooting the teenager in a quiet gated community in the Orlando suburb of Sanford.
'Lot of hate' "I hope he'll get a [bail] bond," his lawyer, Mark O'Mara, said. "It's out of my hands and up to a judge."
Thursday's hearing would deal primarily with the bail issue, Mr O'Mara said. At a later date, Mr Zimmerman would attend an arraignment hearing, when he would plead not guilty, the lawyer added.
Continue reading the main story Key dates in the Martin case
- 26 February: Trayvon Martin is fatally shot and police do not arrest the shooter, George Zimmerman
- 16 March: Recordings of 911 calls made before the shooting are released to Martin's parents, they demand for Mr Zimmerman's arrest
- 22 March: Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee "temporarily" steps down and Seminole County State Attorney Norman Wolfinger stands aside from the investigation amid mounting calls for the prosecution of Mr Zimmerman
- 23 March: US President Barack Obama identifies with the Martin family and says if he had a son he would have looked like Trayvon Martin
- 10 April: Mr Zimmerman's lawyers withdraw as his counsel and say they lost contact with him two days earlier
- 11 April: George Zimmerman taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder
If convicted, he could face life in prison.
Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin's mother, told NBC's Today show that she did not think Mr Zimmerman had intended to kill her son.
"I believe it was an accident," she said on Thursday. "I believe that it just got out of control and he couldn't turn the clock back," she said, joined by Trayvon's father and their lawyer Benjamin Crump.
When asked what she would say to Mr Zimmerman if she could meet him face to face, Ms Fulton said she understood his family was hurting but that losing a teenage son was "very difficult to live with day in and day out".
"I'm sure his parents can pick up the phone and call him," she said, "but we can't pick up the phone and call Trayvon Martin anymore."
Legal experts say that prosecutors must prove the shooting was rooted in hatred or ill will, while the defence, to prevent the case from even going to trial, have to prove by a relatively lower legal standard that its client acted in self-defence.
Mr Zimmerman's attorney said: "He is concerned about getting a fair trial and a fair presentation. He is a client who has a lot of hatred focused on him."
'Stand your ground' The neighbourhood watchman told police he opened fire after the teenager attacked him, breaking his nose and banging his head against the pavement.
Angela Corey: George Zimmerman's trial needs a 'fair jury'
But those who were pressing for Mr Zimmerman's arrest suggested the teenager was shot because of his race.
Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey announced on Wednesday that charges would be pressed, telling reporters: "We did not come to this decision lightly. Let me emphasise that we do not prosecute by public pressure or petition."
The move followed a nationwide campaign of demonstrations demanding Mr Zimmerman's arrest, led by the dead teenager's parents and prominent civil rights activists.
The debate went all the way to the White House when President Barack Obama said last month: "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon."
The case highlights Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law, which grants individuals leeway to use deadly force if they feel seriously under threat.
Trayvon Martin was walking home from a local shop carrying a bag of sweets and a can of iced tea when he was approached by Mr Zimmerman.
The neighbourhood watch volunteer had told a police dispatcher he thought Martin, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, looked suspicious.
According to 911 emergency calls released afterwards, the dispatcher advised Mr Zimmerman not to go after the young man. But minutes later a confrontation ensued, leading to the fatal shooting.
The case has raised tensions around Sanford, where bullets were fired into an unoccupied police car on Tuesday not far from where the teenager died.
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