Zimmerman's wife defends him: Not a 'violent person' Bond hearing at the Seminole County Courthouse for George Zimmerman, charged in the death of Trayvon Martin. Speaking publicly for the first time since her husband shot unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in February, George Zimmerman's wife of almost five years said Friday her husband is not a violent person and he poses no danger to the community. "Absolutely he is not a violent person, nor a threat to the community," Shellie Nicole Zimmerman testified at her husband's bail hearing. Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, is asking the court to release his client while he awaits trial on a charge of second-degree murder in Martin's death. Shellie Zimmerman spoke to the court session, presided over by Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester, through a phone connection because she is concerned for her safety, adding that she has received hate mail. She did not, however, report the mail to the police, she admitted upon cross-examination. Zimmerman, who is a nursing student four weeks shy of graduation, said she would "absolutely" ensure that her husband would be present in court for his trial if he were to be released on bail. She added her husband has been living in hiding since the shooting. George Zimmerman's parents testify at his bond hearing by phone saying their son is not a violent person. NBC's Jay Gray reports. Zimmerman's father, Robert, echoed his daughter-in-law's testimony, saying his son is "absolutely not violent." "I've never known him to be violent at all unless he was provoked, and then he would turn the other cheek," Robert told the court. He's been honest his whole life. The defendant's father, a former court magistrate, added his son has always been interested in criminal justice. Zimmerman's mother's testimony painted the portrait of a man concerned with the community he lived in, a man who was "protective" of people and children. Gladys Zimmerman testified that the Sanford mayor had recognized her son for his efforts in the case of a homeless man who had been beaten. She also added that her son mentored two African-American children in Orlando and visited them often despite her objection that they lived in a "dangerous" area. At about 9 a.m. Friday, Zimmerman entered the courtroom wearing a suit and in chains. At the beginning of the hearing, Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, handed in his client's passport and began calling witnesses to testify on Zimmerman's behalf. The first witness called was Zimmerman's wife. AP Photo/John Raoux Sybrina Fulton, left, mother of Trayvon Martin and attorney Benjamin Crump, arrive at the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center for a bond hearing for George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer charged with murdering Trayvon Martin, Friday, April 20, 2012, in Sanford, Fla. Ahead of the hearing, O'Mara suggested he would ask the judge to allow Zimmerman to leave the area -- but not the country -- if he is granted bond. Normally, the conditions are that you stay local. I think that is going to be difficult," O'Mara said in an interview. I think nobody would deny the fact that if George Zimmerman were walking down the street today, he would be at risk. That is a reality. Legal experts say factors in Zimmerman's favor include his ties to the local community and the fact he turned himself in voluntarily, which suggests he may not be a flight risk. He also has never been convicted of a crime, which experts say could be taken as an indication he doesn't pose a threat to society. "Although it's not routine for people charged with murder to get bond, they do get bond, and I think there is an excellent argument to be made in his specific case for him to be released on bond," said defense attorney Randy McClean, who practices in Seminole County, about 15 miles northeast of Orlando. On Thursday night, Zimmerman reached out to ask to speak to Martin's parents, but they rejected that request, the family's attorney, Benjamin Crump, told NBC Miami. The family did not want to talk with Zimmerman because they felt he had never publicly apologized for what happened to their son and they thought it was inappropriate to do so at the 11th hour before his bond hearing, according to Crump. Zimmerman, 28, is charged with second-degree murder in the Feb. 26 shooting of Martin, 17, in a gated community in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman claims self-defense in the shooting. ABC News said it had obtained an exclusive photo of the back of Zimmerman's head, which appears bloody and may help substantiate his claims. NBC Miami and The Associated Press contributed to this report.