George Zimmerman is no longer behind bars.
Zimmerman was released shortly after midnight Monday from the Seminole County Jail on a $150,000 bond.
As he walked out of the John E. Polk Correctional Facility, the man charged with second-degree murder for the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was wearing a brown jacket and blue jeans, and carrying a paper bag. He followed a bondsman from Magic Bail Bonds out of the jail and got into a white BMW.
They issued the following statement Monday:
"Magic Baill Bonds has provied a service allowed by Florida Law. We at Magic Bail Bonds, have no comment at this time regarding anyone or anything that pertains to the George Zimmerman case. Our client's security and well being is our only priority."
Conditions of Zimmerman's release
At a bond hearing Friday, Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester said Zimmerman must be fitted with a GPS monitoring device. He was also forbidden from having any guns and must observe a curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Zimmerman's ultimate destination was not released for his safety, but the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said they will keep track of him using the GPS monitoring device.
He may even be headed out of state, though he did surrender his passport to the court during Friday's hearing.
About Zimmerman's GPS device
The Seminole County Sheriff's Office issued the following release Monday morning on Zimmerman's release:
"George Zimmerman was released this morning from the John E. Polk Correctional Facility (JEPCF) at the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. Zimmerman posted bond and was fitted with an electronic monitoring device prior to release. He departed the facility at approximately 12 a.m.
"Zimmerman's GPS device will be monitored by the SCSO and Seminole County Probation. Monitoring is 'real-time' and enables immediate identification of an offender’s whereabouts at any given time anywhere in the U.S. The SCSO will not be releasing specifics about Zimmerman’s monitoring device or monitoring conditions. Additional background information about GPS monitoring can be found at: http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/dps/probation/GPSservices.aspx
"No additional information regarding Zimmerman's release is available at this time."
About Zimmerman's bond
Zimmerman, 28, was granted a bond of $150,000 Friday. He was only required to put up 10 percent of that -- $15,000 -- to secure his release.
According to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, a protection order issued in the case has prevented them from immediately releasing Zimmerman's bond paperwork. Sheriff's officials said they would meet with legal counsel to determine when -- or if -- that information could be released.
Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, said his client did not have the money to post bond himself, but said they had been working since Friday's hearing to find a way to get the cash.
His father, Robert Zimmerman Sr., had indicated he might take out a second mortgage on his home to pay for his son's release. Whether that actually happened was not immediately known.
Bail is not unheard of in second-degree murder cases, and legal experts had predicted it would be granted for Zimmerman because of his ties to the community, because he turned himself in after he was charged, and because he has never been convicted of a serious crime.
Prosecutors had asked for $1 million bond, citing two previous scrapes Zimmerman had with the law, neither of which resulted in charges. In 2005, he had to take anger management courses after he was accused of attacking an undercover officer who was trying to arrest Zimmerman's friend. In another incident, a girlfriend accused him of attacking her.
Zimmerman took the stand, himself, at Friday's hearing to apologize to Trayvon Martin's parents. He said did not know their son was unarmed, or that he was just 17 years old. Zimmerman had claimed he shot Martin in self-defense, citing Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, which gives broad legal protection to anyone who says they used deadly force because they feared death or great bodily harm.
Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump, however, called Zimmerman's apology "self-serving."
"It's real simple," said Crump. "When they called asking for this meeting the day before the bond hearing, we said this is not the appropriate time. And we certainly don't think the bond hearing was the appropriate time."
Documents released in case
Judge Kenneth Lester released a packet of documents to the media Monday.
From motions to minutes, the court records give little insight into the evidence in the case, which is something both the prosecution and defense are working hard to keep out of the public eye.
With a face that has been a fixture on the national news, staying under the radar will be tough for Zimmerman.
"Keep in mind that is going to be up to George, if he follows the rules. KIeep in mind you have to tabloids. I know that TMZ has made some noise. TMZ has resources out looking for George. I'm sure the Enquirer will get involved with that as well," said James Copenhaver, a private investigator in Orlando.
Martin family thanks supporters
Meanwhile, Trayvon Martin's parents published a "Card of Thanks" in The Miami Herald obituary page Sunday.
The note says Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin express their appreciation for all the public's support since their son's death. The notice included a photograph of Trayvon Martin dressed in a hooded sweatshirt, similar to one he was wearing the evening he was killed.
"Words will never express how your love, support and prayers lifted our spirits and continue to give us the strength to march on," the letter said.