Stand Your Ground Law Analysis
They key issues that state attorney Angela Corey will attempt to tackle herself after a grand jury declined to look into the case involving Trayvon Marin and George Zimmerman are race, justice and when it is reasonable to act in self-defense (PBS.org). Daniel Webster also attempts to tackle these issues during an interview with PBS journalist, Gwen Ifill.
Since 2005, other states have adopted a Florida style self-defense law that has been known to overlap and fall into three distinct categories, Stand Your Ground, Castle Doctrine or Duty to Retreat. These laws contain provisions that expand upon previous laws to provide additional protection to citizens who used guns or other means of force outside of their home as well as inside the home so long as there is reason to believe that you were in danger. Many people believe that these laws have just appeared out of nowhere or due to the Trayvon Martin case, but in actuality, they have been in the works for quite some time. Take for example the carrying concealed weapons law. The National …show more content…
For instance, not a single one of these laws have been removed, altered or reversed since their enactment. As a result, these laws, coupled with the new concealed weapons law have caused major concerns for everyone. For instance, justified use of force by private citizens has not only been on the rise, but has made the job of prosecutors that much harder when prosecuting shootings. However, there might be hope yet. Recently a bill was proposed that amends the state’s law by adding a duty to retreat, if it’s possible, before using deadly force (Dahl, 2013). This may help the situation at hand or may not, only time will tell.
In regards to the George Zimmerman case and the Marissa Alexander, there are several aspects that are similar as well as dissimilar between the two.
Where they are
Since 2005, other states have adopted a Florida style self-defense law that has been known to overlap and fall into three distinct categories, Stand Your Ground, Castle Doctrine or Duty to Retreat. These laws contain provisions that expand upon previous laws to provide additional protection to citizens who used guns or other means of force outside of their home as well as inside the home so long as there is reason to believe that you were in danger. Many people believe that these laws have just appeared out of nowhere or due to the Trayvon Martin case, but in actuality, they have been in the works for quite some time. Take for example the carrying concealed weapons law. The National …show more content…
For instance, not a single one of these laws have been removed, altered or reversed since their enactment. As a result, these laws, coupled with the new concealed weapons law have caused major concerns for everyone. For instance, justified use of force by private citizens has not only been on the rise, but has made the job of prosecutors that much harder when prosecuting shootings. However, there might be hope yet. Recently a bill was proposed that amends the state’s law by adding a duty to retreat, if it’s possible, before using deadly force (Dahl, 2013). This may help the situation at hand or may not, only time will tell.
In regards to the George Zimmerman case and the Marissa Alexander, there are several aspects that are similar as well as dissimilar between the two.
Where they are