The judge hearing the George Zimmerman second-degree murder case may have a potential conflict, she said at a Friday hearing.
Seminole County Circuit Judge Jessica Recksiedler announced that her husband works with an attorney who has been hired to act as an analyst on the case for CNN.
Recksiedler said she scheduled the brief hearing because she wanted to make prosecutors and Zimmerman's attorney aware of the situation.
"I wanted to disclose it to you as soon as possible, so as I became aware is why I set this status hearing this morning," Recksiedler said.
Zimmerman didn't appear in court and his attorney, Mark O'Mara, and State Attorney Angela Corey spoke by phone.
O'Mara expressed concern that Recksiedler's husband works with famed Orlando attorney Mark NeJame, who is working as a commentator on the case.
"My concern is this, I think that Mr. NeJame is going to be extraordinarily active in how he both perceives and analyzes this case," O'Mara said.
NeJame had spoken with Zimmerman's family about possibly representing him before O'Mara was hired, O'Mara said.
Recksiedler asked O'Mara and prosecutors to file motions with their views on the possible conflict.
The hearing was called a day after the 28-year-old Zimmerman made his first appearance before a judge on a second-degree murder charge in the death of Trayvon Martin.
Prosecutors say Zimmerman fatally shot Martin in the chest during a Feb. 26 confrontation in a gated community in Sanford.
Zimmerman said the shooting was in self-defense and he was not arrested at the time. Corey announced Wednesday that she was charging Zimmerman in the shooting, and he turned himself in to authorities and was booked into jail, where he remains held without bond.
His formal arraignment was scheduled for May 29. Zimmerman will probably be in court on April 20 for an hearing to determine if he'll be allowed to post bond, O'Mara said.
