Zimmerman's life forever changed by shooting, trial

Yamiche Alcindor, Marisol Bello, Donna Leinwand Leger and Laura Petrecca | USA TODAY

What now for George Zimmerman?

The neighborhood watch volunteer received a life-altering answer when he was acquitted Saturday in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Yet he still faces threats of violence and the potential of more legal action against him.

Zimmerman, 29, has offered no details on what his future holds, but his lawyer and brother have spoken out.

Zimmerman is prepared to legally defend himself against any actions in the future, including the possibility of a federal civil rights prosecution and civil lawsuit, attorney Mark O'Mara told USA TODAY.

"The FBI looked into that last year, interviewed about 40 people and not one person came up with any suggestion that George acted in a racially inappropriate way," O'Mara said. Zimmerman will also seek immunity from any civil lawsuits, he said.

Yet, Zimmerman has to grapple with more than legal threats. His acquittal sparked angry protests across the country and some people have vowed vigilante justice against him.

Outside the courthouse, one protester wore a shirt that had an image of Zimmerman's face in crosshairs. Some Twitter users posted death threats while others predicted he will now be a target for violence.

Zimmerman already wears a protective vest when he goes out in public, O'Mara told ABC News. He will get the pistol he used to shoot Martin back and, if allowed, will again carry the gun, he said.

Zimmerman needs the weapon "even more" than before, O'Mara told ABC.

"There are a lot of people out there who actually hate him, though they shouldn't," he said.

Zimmerman's brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr., told CNN on Saturday night that his sibling will likely live in fear for the rest of his life.

There are people who "think that justice was not served," he said. "They won't respect the verdict no matter how it was reached and they will always present a threat to George and his family."

Zimmerman is "still processing the reality or notion of being a free man, of having what the judge described as no further business before the court," his brother also said.

Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer in a Florida townhouse community, shot and killed Trayvon on Feb. 26, 2012. Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, claimed he shot the unarmed African-American teenager in self-defense.

On Saturday, a jury found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter.

A lawyer who represented another famous Florida defendant — Casey Anthony — says Zimmerman will likely keep a low profile. In 2011, Anthony was cleared of murdering her 2-year-old daughter.

"I don't think you will be seeing George Zimmerman walking around the mall," said her attorney Jose Baez.

Like Anthony, Baez thinks Zimmerman will go into hiding. In March, Anthony appeared at a bankruptcy hearing to tell the court she doesn't have a job, a car or a permanent home.

"I guess you could say I'm living free off the kindness" of others, Anthony told the court then. She said Baez had given her about $3,400 in cash to help with her living expenses.

Zimmerman has supporters who funded his defense and could help him in the future, Baez said. Zimmerman is also likely to get a book deal and lucrative speaking engagements at gun shows and Second Amendment events, he added.

"They'd pay top dollar and he has a chance to capitalize on those financial offers," Baez said. "It's the only way I see him make any money."

Already, a literary agent says she has signed one of the Zimmerman trial jurors to write a book about her experience on the panel. Literary and media manager Sharlene Martin says she has signed a deal with a juror who is still known only as B-37, which was her official court designation during the trial.

Legally, beyond possible federal civil rights charges, Trayvon's parents could sue Zimmerman for wrongful death in civil court.

Prosecutors will find it difficult to bring a federal civil rights case, but a wrongful-death lawsuit is almost a sure thing, said Atlanta criminal defense attorney Drew Findling, who is not involved in the Zimmerman case.

"They will file a civil case and get a monstrous verdict that they won't be able to collect on," he said.

Such a judgment, however, would keep Zimmerman from capitalizing on his notoriety.

"They will be chasing him down for every penny he makes," Findling said. "Look at O.J. Simpson. It had a stranglehold on his life."

A civil court ordered Simpson to pay $33.5 million to the families of Nicole Brown Simpson, his ex-wife, and Ronald Goldman, her friend, after he was acquitted in 1995 of murdering them.

As for Zimmerman's future, his lawyer suggested to ABC News that he might want to relocate to another part of the country.

"If I was him, I would go somewhere else," O'Mara said.

O'Mara also said it would be unlikely Zimmerman could find a job.

"I don't think he can work," he said. "I don't think anyone can hire him. ... George is a pariah."