Report: Trayvon Martin's family settles claim against HOA

By Barbara Liston

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - The family of black teenager Trayvon Martin, who was shot to death last year by a neighborhood watch captain, has settled a wrongful death claim against the homeowners association of the Florida gated community where he was killed, a Florida newspaper reported on Friday.

Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the Martin family, filed paperwork outlining the settlement, which is thought to be more than $1 million, at a courthouse in Sanford, Florida, according to the Orlando Sentinel newspaper. Crump did not return calls for comment.

A spokesman for the lawyer of homeowners association told Reuters he had no comment.

George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain, goes on trial June 10 for second-degree murder for Martin's killing.

Representatives of The Retreat at Twin Lakes subdivision at one point in the negotiations offered the Martin family a $1 million settlement, Shawn Vincent, a spokesman for Zimmerman's defense team, told Reuters.

The Sentinel reported on Friday that the settlement amount was crossed out of paperwork filed at the Seminole County Courthouse. Later in the day, the document appeared to have been withdrawn from public view.

Although a cover page indicated copies of the settlement were given to Zimmerman's lawyer and the judge presiding over the criminal trial, Vincent told Reuters that the defense team did not receive its copy.

Martin died on his way back to a townhouse where he was spending the week with his father. Prosecutors contend Zimmerman profiled Martin, a black 17-year-old, then pursued Martin against the advice of police and shot him during an altercation.

Zimmerman claims he shot Martin in self-defense.

(Editing by Kevin Gray and Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/trayvon-martins-family-settles-wrongful-death-claim-report-232428707.html

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