George Zimmerman's domestic violence charges have officially been dropped one day after his girlfriend said she did not want to pursue the case.
In a statement Wednesday, State Attorney Phil Archer said there was too much conflicting information to bring the case to trial, including Samantha Scheibe's decision not to cooperate.
Zimmerman had faced charges of aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief after he allegedly pointed a shotgun at Scheibe at her Apopka home on Nov. 18. Scheibe later recanted that claim in a court document released Tuesday.
"Upon reviewing the recent affidavit of the Ms. Scheibe and taking into account the conflicting statements about what occurred, the failure to cooperate with the ongoing investigation, and a lack of any other corroborating evidence or witnesses, there is no reasonable likelihood of successful prosecution," Archer said. "The state has a burden in every criminal case of being able to prove all the elements of a crime beyond and to the exclusion of a reasonable doubt before filing charges. The facts and evidence of this case do not meet that burden."
Archer, who represents Seminole and Brevard counties as state attorney, added domestic violence is a serious matter "of great concern" to law enforcement and the community, and the incident involving Zimmerman provides an opportunity to strongly urge anyone who is experiencing conflict in their relationships to seek counseling and find help to prevent future incidents.
Attorneys for Zimmerman released a statement on his behalf:
I am pleased that I was able to present credible evidence to reasonable prosecutors who took the time to listen and that justice prevailed. This demonstrates how great our system is.