Trayvon Martin Updates

[Content Note: Violence; racism.]

Two pieces of important news today:

1. Special prosecutor Angela Corey said late yesterday she'll "make an announcement about the case within 72 hours."

2. George Zimmerman's attorneys, Craig Sonner and Hal Uhrig, have withdrawn counsel.

Sonner said at an afternoon press conference that he and Uhrig had lost contact with Zimmerman over the past few days and that he had consistently failed to return phone calls and e-mails. At the same time, the lawyers also confirmed that Zimmerman had launched a website (therealgeorgezimmerman.com) on his own behalf to raise funds for his own defense and support. This, Uhrig said, was done without advice or communication with his legal counsel.

They also said they heard that Zimmerman spoke with Fox News commentator Sean Hannity directly rather than communicating through his attorneys, and the final straw was an attempt to speak with [Special prosecutor Angela Corey]'s office without them. "We were astonished, and we had some conversation with the prosecutor as well," Uhrig said. He explained that Corey's office clarified that it would not speak with someone who could potentially be charged with a crime without speaking to his attorneys.

Said Sonner at the presser: "He's gone on his own."