A Florida judge has dismissed a defamation and conspiracy lawsuit filed by George Zimmerman against the parents of Trayvon Martin, whom he shot and killed in 2012.
According to reports, Zimmerman’s lawsuit was seeking $100 million in damages from Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, and their book publisher HarpersCollins, alleging they made him out to be a racist, and had “destroyed his good will and reputation in the community.” The lawsuit also named civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented the family.
The lawsuit accused Crump and Martin’s parents of conspiracy to get charges brought against him in the fatal shooting of Trayvon.
Judge John Cooper in Tallahassee ruled against Zimmerman, writing that the former neighborhood watch had “failed to show any fraudulent representation.”
“There can be no claim of conspiracy if there is no adequately stated claim for fraud,” documents obtained by local news outlets read.
Zimmerman was acquitted of murder charges in 2013. He filed the defamation suit in 2019.
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