zimmerman is in custody tonight already in florida having turned himself in. she did not reveal where in florida he is nor would she talk about the details of the case, new or those already known that led her to bring these charges. she said the decision was made last week and was not driven, she says, by the national outcry trayvon martin's killing has touched off. >> let me emphasize that we do not prosecute by public pressure or by petition. we prosecute based on the facts of any given case as well as the laws of the state of florida. >> the first few words out of angela corey's mouth were the names of trayvon martin's parents. they watched the news from washington, spoke briefly tonight. >> first of all, i want to say thank god. we simply wanted an arrest. we wanted nothing more, nothing less. we just wanted an arrest. and we got it. and i say thank you. thank you, lord. thank you, jesus. >> we've got a long way to go and we have faith. the first time we marched, i looked to the sky and i just told myself when i walk, i will walk by faith. and we will continue to -- we will continue to walk by faith. we will continue to hold hands on this journey, white, black, hispanic, latino, we will continue to walk. we will march and march and march until the right thing is done. >> reaction as well tonight from the naacp. a statement from association president reading in part, quote, 45 days after trayvon martin's life came to a violent end, the wheels of justice have finally begun to turn. just before air time george zimmerman's new attorney, mark o'mara, spoke to reporters. >> we now have a process in place. it's a very good process. best in the world and it works pretty well. we have to let it work. we have to understand and have faith in the justice system. nobody, after all, wanted trayvon martin to be prejudged as he was walking down that street. i ask not to prejudge george zimmerman and please do not prejudge the criminal justice system. it's going to work. we just need to let it work. >> mr. o'mara said he hopes george zimmerman will be allowed out on bond before his trial. he said a hearing is set for that tomorrow. i wasn't sure of the exact time. like angela corey, he declined to say where his client is right now or where he turned himself in. when asked what, if any, guidance he gave george zimmerman when they spoke, he said he told him to, quote, stay calm, listen to my advice. i want to start with our newest legal analyst who was first to speak with mark o'mara late this afternoon. mark, we heard from mr. o'mara, although he's not saying that much. what do you know about the surrender of george zimmerman and where it came about? >> i've been talking to mr. o'mara throughout the day. it was arranged ahead of time. like miss corey had intimated, the fdle was in contact with mr. zimmerman. when it was imminent charges would be brought, apparently his surrender, the wheels were already started. mr. o'mara ended up communicating with mr. zimmerman, knowing mr. zimmerman would be in the custody of fdle and a civilized, peaceful arrest occurred and now he's in fact going to be transported to sanford where he'll appear for a first appearance apparently tomorrow morning. >> so this was the toughest charge that the state attorney could file without a grand jury. were you surprised by it? >> i think at the stretch, but we don't know. we don't have all the information. we hear that from a lot of people. we don't know exactly what miss corey has. but i think most legal analysts and i would agree that if there was going to be charges deemed appropriate, manslaughter seemed more likely. i'm not sure it makes a tremendous difference. a lot of people miss the fact that florida has a 10-20 life law. basically when in fact a firearm is used and there's serious injury or death, then life can happen not necessarily just on second-degree murder. but you've heard a lot of people who practice in duval county indicate it's pretty typical for this prosecute tore hit you with the highest charges and then you see where it goes from there. so the answer would be no. but it was -- manslaughter would have made seemingly more sense in light of what's come out publicly. >> what kind of attorney is mark o'mara? >> he's an excellent lawyer. one of the best in central florida. i've worked different cases with him and actually been against him. we've worked commentary with each other. he knows the press, he knows the law. i think he's the only lawyer in the state of florida who actually has board certified in criminal as well as in domestic. very smart, as you saw today, very measured. i think both sides have very good, competent counsel. i think they'll both work to keep the lid on this and allow it to do, as they have said, play out to the courts. mark knows how to handle the media but he ialso not a media hog. he's going to go out and say and do what's appropriate on behalf of his client. very ethical man, very smart lawyer. >> let's bring in more of our legal panel. mark geragos joins us. marcia clark, herself no stranger to high-profile cases. her newest book comes out next month. also jeffrey toobin and sunny hostin. jeff, first of all, second-degree murder. were you surprised by this? what does this mean what, does second-degree mean? >> it means the possibility of a life sentence. and it's probably a greater sentence than a manslaughter. as mark was saying, it's not dramatically different, but this is the single most severe crime he could have been charged with under these circumstances. and so she threw the book at him. >> how is that different than first-degree murder? >> well, first-degree murder is sort of this premeditated murder. second-degree murder, the prosecution has to show a depraved mind. i've got to tell you, i think knowing what we know, what's in the public domain, that's a difficult charge to prove. so i suspect, anderson, that there is some evidence that we just don't know about, because no prosecutor in a high-profile case wants to walk into court and not be able to prove each and every charge, each and every count beyond a reasonable doubt. you don't want to lose so publicly. so i suspect that we're going to hear a lot more about what happened on february 26th. she's got to have more. >> mark geragos, what do you make of second-degree murder? >> well, you know, i always wondered during the conrad murray prosecution why the d.a. here in l.a. didn't charge second-degree murder, because it has such a heavy sentence. and when you're facing that, a lot of times you can get somebody to plead to a lesser charge of manslaughter. if you drop the use, which is the use of the firearm, which carries potentially the same kinds of life penalties, a lot of times you may not even need to go to trial. so it makes more sense to me that they would charge him with a second-degree murder and then let the chips fall where they might. >> marcia, as a former prosecutor, how hard is it to prove second-degree murder? >> you know, in my opinion, not as hard as people have been making it sound. the standard of depraved mind is very similar to what we have in california called conscious disregard, which means that you're acting in a manner in which that you know that your actions are likely to cause serious bodily injury or death. when you have a gun and you shoot it at someone and depending on what the forensics show, if it's a point-blank shot to the chest, i think you may very easily prove conscious disregard or depraved mind. don't forget there are also the allegations of racial slurs that have been shown in some of the 911 tapes. the possibility that there is also a racial component to his attitude towards trayvon martin will help to prove that as well. so i'm not sure that even with what we know so far it's so out of line. i have to tell you, anderson, i did expect that there would be a second-degree filing and i thought that was entirely justifiable filing at this point. even if they had gone -- i don't know that first-degree would have been justifiable. i think that's much tougher. that one is hard to show under these circumstances. second-degree feels about right to me. >> mark, do you think he'll get out on bond? >> i think he might get a bond. i don't think that that's out of the realm of possibility. an i tend to agree with marcia. i mean in some ways, sometimes when you look at the jury instructions, i think that the jury instruction for second-degree is easier for the prosecutor in a lot of cases than it is for the lesser manslaughter. so who knows how it's going to fall out. you have to wait and see what the discovery is. i think it's entirely possible that somebody grants him bail tomorrow. >> jeff -- >> the question is can he afford bail. >> i do. i just think mark raised something that is very much worth keeping in mind at this moment. don't discount the possibility of a plea bargain in this case. the fact -- many of the facts are not in dispute here. we all know that george zimmerman killed trayvon martin. i mean that is not in dispute. so the only issue will be intent-type issues. and here you have someone with no criminal -- no criminal record, no history of being in prison, someone who does not want a trial. another very important fact about this case, it will be televised. this is florida. florida has the sunshine law. >> you say no criminal record. he did have that run-in with police. he didn't spend time, it was deferred. >> it was expunged -- deferred prosecution. >> what is it called where you go to like -- >> oh, diversion. >> diversion. >> that's right. but almost certainly that's not the kind of thing that could be admitted in court. but what -- this is a guy who will be terrified of getting a life sentence, who does not want to sit through a trial, who will really may try to limit his exposure -- >> but that's assuming that the prosecution, jeff, would offer a plea. >> of course, that's right. prosecutors like the sure thing of pleas here. >> but you're looking at a career prosecutor who's known as being very tough on crime. who is known as having this excruise missile prosecute yal bent. she was talking about praying with trayvon martin's family. in light of that, in light of the high-profile nature, i'm going to disagree with you, jeffrey toobin. i don't think that we'll see a plea here. >> were you surprised to hear the prosecutor use that language. justice for trayvon martin, she talked about praying with the family. were you surprised by that? >> no, not really. i mean this has been a case that engendered so much hard feelings, so much heat and so much emotion that i think it was necessary for her to come out with an understanding and compassion for the family. the family has suffered terribly. whatever people may say, wherever people may go with the racial implications, the law, et cetera, at the end of the day, a young man, an i think of him as -- i understand people referring to him as their son. i have sons that age. and so you have to have compassion and understanding for the fact a family lost their child. and i think that she is appealing -- she is understanding that. she's embracing that fact, that emotional core, which is true in every case. prosecutors have to understand and should show that they understand there's an emotional core to it. that said, i have to say that i agree with sunny. i don't see a prlea bargain in the future here at all. it takes two sides. i don't see this prosecutor going for anything less than a jury trial and a conviction for second-degree murder. if the jury decides that it wants to compromise somehow and go for manslaughter, so be it. it's out of her hands. she proves the case as best she can and we'll see what the jury says. but i think there's not going to be anything less than that here. >> well, you know, marcia, there still is one other hurdle for the prosecution here, which is under that florida law there is an component of immunity and there is an argument, and i'm sure his lawyer is going to make it, that at some point at a pretrial hearing, if there is a factual determination or a probable cause proceeding of some kind, that they will ask the judge to say that the use of the force was -- put him smack dab in the middle of this law and that he was immune. so i'm not so sure whether by plea bargain or by judicial fiat that this thing is necessarily going to trial. >> we've got to take a quick break. stick around, we'll have more discussion with this panel. a lot more to talk about. we'll talk you through what we know. there's still a lot we don't know about what happened when george zimmerman left that vehicle. but what we know moment by moment looking at everything that might have gone into angela corey's decision. we'll also speak to george zimmerman's friend, frank, who is standing by him. there's more on cnn.com, follow me on facebook or twitter. let us know what you think right now. i'll be tweeting tonight. stay tuned. when bp made a commitment to the gulf, we knew it would take time, but we were determined to see it through. today, while our work continues, i want to update you on the progress: bp has set aside 20 billion dollars to fund economic and environmental recovery. we're paying for all spill- related clean-up costs. and we've established a 500 million dollar fund so independent scientists can study the gulf's wildlife and environment for ten years. thousands of environmental samples from across the gulf have been analyzed by independent labs under the direction of the us coast guard. i'm glad to report all beaches and waters are open for everyone to enjoy. and the economy is showing progress with many areas on the gulf coast having their best tourism seasons in years. i was born here, i'm still here and so is bp. we're committed to the gulf for everyone who loves it, and everyone who calls it home. in what passes for common sense. used to be we socked money away and expected it to grow. then the world changed... and the common sense of retirement planning became anything but common. fortunately, td ameritrade's investment consultants can help you build a plan that fits your life. take control by opening a new account or rolling over an old 401(k) today, and we'll throw in up to $600. how's that for common sense? looking at the seminole county jail in sanford, our affiliate wftv reporting that george zimmerman is arriving there shortly. another affiliate reporting that the convoy left jacksonville earlier tonight. tonight's breaking news, the florida special prosecutor, angela corey, has charged george zimmerman with second-degree murder in the killing of trayvon martin. it came after weeks of protests, obviously, competing claims and media drama. the special prosecutor said none of it went into her decision, only the facts and the law. she did not, though, elaborate on any facts or new facts in her possession that might not yet be out in the public domain. so for now, here are the facts as we know them minute by minute the night trayvon martin was killed. >> sanford police department. >> we've had some break-ins in my neighborhood and there's a real suspicious guy. >> 7:zero 9 p.m. on sunday, february 26. the first idea of trouble. >> this guy looks like he's up to no good or he's on drugs or something. it's raining and he's just walking around looking about. >> the dispatcher tells zimmerman they'll send officers to the scene and tell him to stand down. >> are you following him? >> yeah. >> okay. we don't need you to do that. >> okay. >> meanwhile, 17-year-old trayvon martin has just come from a convenience store and is carrying an iced tea and pack of skittles. it's approximately 7:12 p.m. and he's on the phone with his girlfriend when you sees zimmerman approaching him. >> well, he was walking fast when he say that this man behind him again. he come and said this dude look like he didn't to do something to him. and then trayvon come and said the man was still behind him and then i come and say run! >> 7:13 p.m., zimmerman ends his call with 911. three minutes later at 7:16, neighbors hear a gun shot. >> so you think he's yelling help? >> yes. >> all right. what is your -- >> there's gunshots. >> you just heard gunshots? >> 7:17 p.m., sanford police arrive on scene, responding to zimmerman's initial report of a suspicious person. police officer timothy smith says as he arrives, he's informed by dispatch that a gunshot was heard in the neighborhood. police find trayvon martin lying face down in the grass with his hands underneath his body. george zimmerman is nearby and tells police he shot trayvon martin. he's handcuffed and police confiscate his weapon. according to police reports, zimmerman is bleeding from his nose and the back of his head and his back was wet and covered in grass. soon sanford fire rescue arrives on the scene in an attempt to resuscitate trayvon martin. at 7:30 p.m., 13 minutes after police arrive, trayvon martin is pronounced dead at the scene. zimmerman is given first aid by the paramedics on scene. an officer states he did not question zimmerman about the incident, but overhears zimmerman saying, quote, i was yelling for someone to help me, but no one would help me. 7:52 p.m., george zimmerman is seen here arriving at the sanford police station, still in handcuffs. he's about to be questioned by police. from the time the first 911 call until this moment, about 43 minutes have elapsed. 43 minutes which left a young man dead. 43 minutes of more questions than answers. 45 days later, george zimmerman will be spending his first night in jail. back now with our panel. jeff, you point out there's a lot we do not know, specifically about what happened after george zimmerman left that vehicle. just watching the timeline, though, do you think angela corey has new information based on her investigation? >> i do. she must, because she must have evidence of what happened during those minutes after he gets off the phone with his girlfriend and when the gunshots are fired. this is a housing development. people may have seen things. there may be security cameras. we don't know. and she has had access to all this evidence. i just think we need to reserve judgment about this case because we know a good deal, but we don't know all that she knows. >> law enforcement on the ground is telling us that george zimmerman is about to arrive at the sanford jail and that's why we're showing you that live shot. sunny, you also believe there's new evidence? >> i completely agree. i'm surprised at the second-degree murder charge especially because you've got to prove each and every element beyond a reasonable doubt. as you mentioned, there's a chunk of time with conflicting evidence. and so that tells me she has some claire tclarity in terms o that conflicting evidence. there must be something new. >> tammy asks if you were the defense attorney, would you encourage mr. zimmerman to take the stand? >> oh, there's no way to answer that question. in fact most trials i don't even -- i don't even make that decision until the prosecution has rested. it's something you go in. it's the toughest decision you make as a defense lawyer. and you generally regret it the minute you do it. if you put the client on. and it's just no way to answer it at this point. but i will kind of be the echo chamber here. i agree there's got to be more evidence than what we know publicly. >> forensic evidence alone, because we know nothing about that. >> how far away the gun was. another point about the stand your ground, if he wants to use that law, he's got to say that he feared -- that he was in fear. that's going to be pretty hard to do without his testimony. >> i agree. >> so i think if this case goes to trial -- >> unless they put in his statement. >> yeah, but that's not much. >> unless they put in his statement. >> yes, sure, you could do that. but to persu