Any objections? Judge in Trayvon Martin case reveals legal ties

The judge in the George Zimmerman murder trial announced Friday that her husband works at the law firm that recommended the defendant hire his current attorney.

In a brief televised hearing, Circuit Court Judge Jessica Recksiedler explained the relationships and gave Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Mara, and the office of special prosecutor Angela B. Corey until next week to file any objections. The judge said she had an ethical obligation to disclose the relationships.

A bond hearing is scheduled for April 20 for Zimmerman, charged with second-degree murder in the Feb. 26 shooting of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin.

Recksiedler’s husband, Jason Recksiedler, handles personal injury cases at the NeJame Law firm headed by Mark NeJame, who is the CNN legal analyst commenting on the Zimmerman case. NeJame said on television that his firm had been approached to represent Zimmerman, but that he had declined, choosing to do television commentary instead. He said he had recommended lawyers to Zimmerman, who chose O’Mara.

Judge Recksiedler had been chosen at random from among available judges to handle the Zimmerman case.

Zimmerman, who made his first court appearance on Thursday, did not appear at Friday’s hearing. The attorneys spoke via telephone hookups.

Zimmerman, 28, maintains that he acted in self-defense when he shot Martin, 17.

Investigators for the special prosecutor’s office said Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, “profiled” the African American teenager.

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Michael.muskal@latimes.com