# George Zimmerman is now a painter. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 18, 2013, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629 "2013-12-18T06:43:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/1 "2013-12-18T06:43:08Z")
I looked at the Ebay listing. It’s a pretty good painting. I wouldn’t pay a 100 grand for it. Maybe a $100. I guess this is one way to pay off his legal fees. > **[Bids for George Zimmerman artwork top $100,000 | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2013/12/17/us/george-zimmerman-ebay-painting/)** > > George Zimmerman can now add “painter” to his resume after the former neighborhood watchman purportedly listed an original painting on eBay. > [@](#): > > George Zimmerman can now add “painter” to his resume after the former neighborhood watchman purportedly listed an original painting on eBay. > > The 18-by-24-inch canvas features a blue, waving American flag with the words, “God, one nation, with liberty and justice for all” emblazoned across it. > > The auction was posted Monday at a starting bid of 99 cents and is scheduled to end Saturday. As of Tuesday night, 108 bids were logged for the painting, ratcheting the price up to $110,100. The next bid would top $110,200. > > Zimmerman’s brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr., confirmed that George painted the piece. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/2 "2013-12-18T07:14:36Z")
Every time someone mentions George Zimmerman, I think of [George Zimmer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXgWMH-09U8). ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/3 "2013-12-18T07:29:22Z")
You know who _else_ was a painter? [Caravaggio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravaggio#Exile_and_death_.281606.E2.80.931610.29), Italian artist active in the late 16th/early 17th centuries. Among many others. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/4 "2013-12-18T07:48:26Z")
Oh George, you’re just so clever, \*\*GOD ONE NATION\*\* Get it? One nation under God! 😛 **with** Only word on a “white” stripe and on its own, it’s not supposed to be read as text but as commentary, **LIBERTY and JUSTICE FOR ALL** My only question is . . . how many rooms can he do a day? :dubious: CMC ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/5 "2013-12-18T07:53:46Z")
I was curious to see how much Zimmerman owed his defense. $2.5 million. 😛 That’s going to require a lot of paintings. [http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/trayvon-martin/os-george-zimmerman-legal-bills-20131129,0,7584756.story](http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/trayvon-martin/os-george-zimmerman-legal-bills-20131129,0,7584756.story) > [@](#): > > Two months ago, he received a $2.5 million bill from his two lead attorneys, Mark O’Mara and Don West. > > They had kept track of the time they worked on the case. Each billed him for about 3,000 hours, according to O’Mara. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/6 "2013-12-18T07:54:50Z")
God, does CNN suck. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/7 "2013-12-18T08:27:08Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > You know who _else_ was a painter? > > [Caravaggio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravaggio#Exile_and_death_.281606.E2.80.931610.29), Italian artist active in the late 16th/early 17th centuries. Among many others. Half Godwin with twist? DD 2.0 ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/8 "2013-12-18T15:40:19Z")
Is it a Godwin if you’re making a Mel Brooks reference? ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/9 "2013-12-18T15:43:30Z")
Turns out George stole the image off the Internet, and painted over it, or somesuch. I think he’s gonna have a problem completing the sale… ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/10 "2013-12-18T15:47:57Z")
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8HauzR3erU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8HauzR3erU) If only we could get George Zimmerman and George W. Bush to collaborate that would just be a dream come true. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/11 "2013-12-18T15:49:54Z")
Here’s another link: [http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024188920](http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024188920) ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/12 "2013-12-18T16:09:43Z")
I was just about to post that at least he’s making an honest effort to make good on his debts, until I got to these last few posts. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Longshanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Longshanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Longshanks)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/13 "2013-12-18T17:11:25Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > You know who _else_ was a painter? > > [Caravaggio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravaggio#Exile_and_death_.281606.E2.80.931610.29), Italian artist active in the late 16th/early 17th centuries. Among many others. Wasn’t there another guy who happened to dabble in the arts before finding his true calling? I think his name was Hitler or something. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/14 "2013-12-18T17:18:38Z")
There have been a number of cases in the past of somewhat similar situations at eBay that people would bid big bucks on something with no intention of following through with the payment. It seems that eBay tightened up the rules somewhat, but I really don’t remember. Does anyone know? So far Dopers seem to operate on the assumption these are real bids–not phony ones. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/15 "2013-12-18T17:29:00Z")
I’m assuming that people who feel that George has been treated unfairly, and who are loaded, are bidding. They don’t really want the painting, but are ‘contributing’ to his ‘cause.’ ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/16 "2013-12-18T17:29:26Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I was curious to see how much Zimmerman owed his defense. $2.5 million. 😛 That’s going to require a lot of paintings. > [http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/trayvon-martin/os-george-zimmerman-legal-bills-20131129,0,7584756.story](http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/trayvon-martin/os-george-zimmerman-legal-bills-20131129,0,7584756.story) Almost all criminal cases are billed as a flat fee (white collar crimes are a common exception). There was nothing particularly complicated about the Zimmerman defense. Some experience and skill would be needed, of course. But more complicated trials are handled every day in every jurisdiction in the country. Some very very good lawyers would have been happy to offer him a top notch defense for $250,000 or less. $1M should have bought the best defense imaginable. $2.5 M is just a fee agreed to by people thinking others would foot the bill. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/17 "2013-12-18T17:36:01Z")
> [@Longshanks](#): > > Wasn’t there another guy who happened to dabble in the arts before finding his true calling? I think his name was Hitler or something. Way to over-explain the gag. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/18 "2013-12-18T21:01:34Z")
> [@Longshanks](#): > > Wasn’t there another guy who happened to dabble in the arts before finding his true calling? I think his name was Hitler or something. No no, you’re thinking of Bob Ross. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/19 "2013-12-18T21:14:32Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Almost all criminal cases are billed as a flat fee (white collar crimes are a common exception). There was nothing particularly complicated about the Zimmerman defense. Some experience and skill would be needed, of course. But more complicated trials are handled every day in every jurisdiction in the country. Some very very good lawyers would have been happy to offer him a top notch defense for $250,000 or less. $1M should have bought the best defense imaginable. $2.5 M is just a fee agreed to by people thinking others would foot the bill. I’m mostly agreeing with your last sentence, but there were quite a few things about this case that make it different than an ordinary murder defense. All of the expenses for dealing with the media crush come to mind. God knows how many shadow juries and jury consultants they had to employ. Dr. Vincent DiMaio is one of the, if not _the_, leading authority in his field. (His [textbook](http://www.amazon.com/Gunshot-Wounds-Ballistics-Techniques-Investigations/dp/0849381630) is very interesting reading and clearly written.) I doubt he consults and testifies on very many murder cases. Nor do I think that he works cheaply. If there were additional security expenses for themselves, Zimmerman, or his wife, their fee might reflect those too. The painting is really a lot better than I would’ve thought, hearing about it. Dude might want to give that career a shot, rather than anything in law enforcement. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629/20 "2013-12-18T21:27:29Z")
A career in tracing? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-is-now-a-painter/676629.md?page=2)