Kendall Coffey's Schools

• University of Florida , Class of 1978 JD Graduated first in class. Member of Florida Blue Key, Phi Kappa Phi, and Moot Court.

Kendall Coffey's Publications

• Zimmerman bond draws emotional reaction, but experts say it's not unusual, theGRIO April, 2012 Kendall Coffey, a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, who has been analyzing the legal case for MSNBC, told theGrio that neither Zimmerman’s bond, nor the prosecutor’s tactics, were unusual. And he rejected the notion that the bail amount—well below the $1 million requested by prosecutors, though considerably higher than the $15,000 O’Mara asked the judge to impose—is a statement of the value of Trayvon Martin’s life. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” Coffey said. “The value of his life is incalculable. The purpose of setting a bond is to validate the presumption of innocence, while assuring the defendant’s presence at trial. Indeed if the judge had imposed a million-dollar bond, that would have surely been reversed on appeal, because to impose a $1 million bond for George Zimmerman is tantamount to saying no bond at all.” “Obviously, if this were Donald trump or Bill Gates accused of a crime, that would be grossly inadequate, but you cannot set a bond that a person could not possibly come up with. And Florida is more of a level playing field for criminal defendants than most state jurisdictions—the presumption in favor of bond is heavy in Florida.” However, Coffey said, “from everything we saw, George Zimmerman is broke. His wife doesn’t work, they don’t own a home [they were renting the townhome in the Retreat at Twin Lakes gated community where Martin was killed. There’s no reason to believe that he could even bond out with $150,000,” though Coffey said presumably Zimmerman could seek the help of his parents or other family members, or there could be “third parties” that step in.

• Were Zimmerman's Lawyers the Ones Going Rogue?, The Atlantic Wire April, 2012 Holding the press conference in the first place Every day lawyers drop their clients for some reason or another but it’s almost always done with a quiet no frills resignation in deference to the client. Speaking with the AP’s Kyle Hightower, Kendall Coffey, a former U.S. Attorney in Miami, said Uhrig and Sonner’s decision to hold a news conference was baffling. “The lawyers have every right to withdraw, but it’s highly unusual,” he said. “In the court of public opinion, the press conference was not helpful for George Zimmerman.”

• George Zimmerman arraignment set for May 29; Trayvon Martin’s mother says encounter ‘an accident’ Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/12/v-fullstory/2744193/george-zimmerman-charged-with.html#storylink=cpy, The Miami Herald April, 2012 Former Miami U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey suggested Corey might not stick with the second-degree murder charge through trial. A jury could, under some circumstances, toss the second-degree murder charge and convict of a lesser charge, such as manslaughter, he said. To prove Zimmerman was guilty of second-degree murder, Corey will have to show Zimmerman acted with a “depraved mind” when he shot Trayvon. “This is an aggressive charge,” Coffey said. “And there are times when an aggressive charge gives more incentive for the defendant to seek a plea. The vast majority of cases don’t go to trial and end in a plea.” Zimmerman is still being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights division. In a speech at a conference in Washington, D.C., led by Rev. Al Sharpton, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said a hate crime would be tough to prove.

• Kendall Coffey talks about the legal developments in the Trayvon Martin case and Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. , MSNBC interview, Miami, Florida April, 2012 Kendall Coffey talks about the legal developments in the Trayvon Martin case and Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law.

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