George Zimmerman Quietly Pleaded Not Guilty

George Zimmerman has used a court filing to quietly plead not guilty to second-degree murder in the Trayvon Martin slaying case, according to documents released by a Florida circuit court.

The plea, which was filed on April 12, was part of a batch of court records made public this week after the case was unsealed by Circuit Judge Kenneth R. Lester Jr. A number of media organizations had petitioned the court to make the case filings public.

“The Defendant, by and through his undersigned attorney, enters a written plea of NOT GUILTY to the charges now pending against him in the above-styled cause or causes,” stated the two-page document, which was filed by Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Mara.

In the filing, Zimmerman, 28, also waives his right to answer to the murder charge in person. It is not clear what that means for Zimmerman’s arraignment date, scheduled for May.