Without 'stand your ground,' attacker can have advantage

[Dan W]

Without 'stand your ground,' attacker can have advantage
April 15, 2012|By David Simmons | Guest columnist

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-04-15/opinion/os-ed-stand-your-ground-law-041512-20120413_1_innocent-victims-deadly-force-castle-doctrine         
         
Amid all the demagoguery regarding the tragic case arising from the death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, there have been calls to repeal Florida's landmark "stand your ground" law, which was enacted in 2005. There have also been numerous misleading remarks on how the law was enacted and where the language came from.

I am writing to help clear up the confusion. I was the chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the Florida House of Representatives in 2005. Rep. Dennis Baxley came to me and asked that I work with him and prepare language to reform Florida's law that required innocent victims, when outside their homes, to flee, if they had an ability to do so, before using deadly force against a criminal who had attacked them. I agreed to do so, and was the main drafter of Florida's "stand your ground" law.

 ~Read more at the link~

[AAllen]

This is an interesting read, it shows the history of where the Stand Your Ground Language comes from, before the NRA got a hold of it.

[Ronvandyn]

Interesting, but far to short. 

I would have liked to have seen a few sections on the discussions that prompted the law, discussions that took place in the various committee's as it took shape and what both "parties" had to say about it, and a bit about the floor debate in both of Florida's houses. 

Ron

[HuskerXDM]

Interesting, but far to short. 

I would have liked to have seen a few sections on the discussions that prompted the law, discussions that took place in the various committee's as it took shape and what both "parties" had to say about it, and a bit about the floor debate in both of Florida's houses. 

Ron

True, but his delivery method was as a guest columnist in a newspaper, so that would generally limit his ability to expand his thoughts. 

[Husker_Fan]

It really frustrates me that everyone, especially the press, is making the situation about the Stand Your Ground law.  If Zimmerman is guilty, it's because he was the aggressor.  If he was, the SYG law won't shield him.  If he wasn't the aggressor and was attacked and had his head bashed on the sidewalk, retreat wasn't a viable option.

It's really irrelevant to the situation.