George Zimmerman supporter Frank Taaffe arrested for DUI

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Frank Taaffe, the Sanford, Florida neighbor who has been one of George Zimmerman’s staunchest supporters as he fights second degree murder charges in the killing of Trayvon Martin, now has his own case to argue.

Taaffe was arrested Friday night in Lake Mary, the town neighboring Sanford, and was released on $500 bond on Saturday. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). WFTV reporter Daralene Jones tweeted about the arrest, and Taaffe told her he mixed alcohol with prescription anxiety medication, which intensified the effects of alcohol. Jones said Taaffe added that he “didn’t read the label” on his medication. Taaffe told theGrio he had been hospitalized about a week prior to Friday’s arrest, and given anxiety medication after being hospitalized for chest pains. He said the hospitalization was related to the anniversary of his son’s death.

Taaffe has been involved in previous incidents, including several that found their way to court.

He faced misdemeanor battery and domestic violence charges in 1997 and 1999, respectively,  in incidents involving his ex-wife, Susan. Both cases were ultimately dismissed. Taaffe told theGrio the incidents stemmed from his divorce.

More recently, Taaffe faced two separate requests for protective orders, in cases of “repeat violence.” Both were filed in Orange County court in 2008. One of the cases involved Joseph Andrew Amon, who Taaffe said was an acquaintance with whom he got into a “verbal altercation” while “out.” He would not specify where the incident took place, or the details of the encounter. In the second, Taaffe said he got into a verbal altercation “on the phone” with a co-worker, Wesley A. Marsh, who he said then filed a request for a protective order.

Taaffe called the Amon case “just a verbal confrontation,” adding that Amon “thought the thing to do was to get a protective order, and there was no reason for it.”

“I hadn’t talked to him in a while, and we had a telephone conversation,” Taaffe said of Marsh. “He made up fictitious circumstances.”

Regarding both of the 2008 incidents, Taaffe said, “all of them were dropped for the lack of any evidence to the cause. The judge deemed both to be frivolous.”