[Hoot Gibson]

I doubt that a wrongful death judgment would be dischargable in bankruptcy. Nonetheless, there are many "procedures" that Zimmerman can implement in order to minimize his estate. We call it "estate planning". I encourage him to get a good estate/tax attorney and to follow his/her advice. Good luck and best wishes, George.

I did not suggest bankruptcy to discharge any judgment, but to make sure that it would be obvious to the jury in a civil trial who had the deep pockets, Zimmerman or the Martins, who have already won a large settlement from the home owners association. Many jurors just love to feel like they are Ed McMahon delivering a large check to a poor person. If they perceive the plaintiffs as the wealthier party, they are not as enthusiastic about spending other people's money. Maybe bankruptcy is the wrong course of action, but Zimmerman needs to minimize his visible assets and perhaps delay actions against the many people and organizations that have slandered him. (I am not explaining this for your benefit, but for those who have never been involved in civil lawsuits involving large sums of money.)