George Zimmerman gets year probation after no contest plea

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — A Florida judge agreed to let George Zimmerman serve probation for a year after the former neighborhood watch leader’s attorney entered a no contest plea to resolve a misdemeanor charge of stalking a private investigator.

But Seminole County Judge Mark Herr admonished Zimmerman to understand that “words matter.” Under a no contest plea, a defendant doesn’t admit guilt, and a conviction is withheld if the conditions of the plea are met. Zimmerman wasn’t at the courthouse during Tuesday’s hearing.

Since Zimmerman’s 2013 acquittal in the fatal shooting of black teenager Trayvon Martin, Zimmerman has had several run-ins with the law.

The judge expressed hope that Zimmerman would avoid making future appearances at the Seminole County Courthouse.

The private investigator, Dennis Warren, says Zimmerman didn’t get the sentence he deserved.