George Zimmerman waived his right to a speedy trial, as well as his right to appear in court during an arraignment hearing scheduled for today at the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center.

Lawyers for Zimmerman submitted his written plea of not-guilty, along with a motion waiving Zimmerman’s right to a speedy trial that was filed by lead defense attorney Mark O’Mara.

O’Mara put forth a request for more time to prepare his defense, a common strategy among criminal defense lawyers.

Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester accepted Zimmerman’s plea and scheduled a status hearing for Aug. 8, where a trial date could potentially be set.

Neither Zimmerman nor O’Mara were present in the courtroom today. Lester spent less than a minute focusing on the case, making a short announcement moments after taking the bench that the plea had been accepted, and setting the date for the hearing.

Zimmerman faces second degree murder charges for his involvement in the shooting death of 17 year-old Trayvon Martin. His current whereabouts are unknown to the general public, although he is under constant electronic surveillance as a condition of his release on $150,000 bond.