Genine Murray English Composition II April 26, 2014

Stand Your Ground Law

Recent events hich have gaine! the attention o" the nation an! the me!ia have also !ra n attention to hat is #no n as the $stan! your groun!% la & Accor!ing to the e'site "in!la &com, some (&)& states ac#no le!ge a citi*en%s $!uty to retreat%, hich esta'lishes that, +un!er imminent threat o" personal harm, ,a person- must retreat "rom the threat as much as possi'le 'e"ore respon!ing ith "orce in sel".!e"ense&/ 0)tan! 1our Groun! 2a s, 3in!2a &4 In 2005, the $stan! your groun!% la too# steps to invali!ate the $!uty to retreat% concept 'y stating that, +un!er certain circumstances, in!ivi!uals can use "orce to !e"en! themselves ithout "irst attempting to retreat "rom the !anger&/ 0)tan! 1our Groun! 2a s, 3in!2a &4 6he purpose o" this la is to leave no !ou't a'out an in!ivi!ual%s right to !e"en! themselves an! to eliminate

any threat o" prosecution on the groun!s o" sel".!e"ense, an! possi'ly even a trial& 6he e7treme controversy over the enactment o" this la in some (&)& states has le! to the uprising o" i!esprea! !e'ate regar!ing the li#elihoo! this la promotes a vigilante attitu!e, encourages

violence rather than !i""uses it, a""ects one race more than the other, an! lea!s to a +shoot "irst, as# 8uestions later/ mentality& )ince the 3e'ruary, 2012 shooting !eath o" 6rayvon Martin gaine! e7tensive national attention, 'oth critics an! proponents o" the $stan! your groun!% la have 'een vocal a'out their vie points on this issue& 9ithin those states hich have currently enacte! the la , there are only three 8uestions that must 'e as#e! in sel".!e"ense court cases: 1& ;i! the !e"en!ant have the right to 'e there<

2& 9as he engage! in a la "ul activity<= an! >& Coul! he reasona'ly have 'een in "ear o" !eath or great 'o!ily harm< 0Reuters4 I" there is no in"ormation to the contrary, then the $stan! your groun!% la oul!& Criminologists

have state! that, + hen people ith guns get the message they have a right to stan! an! "ight, rather than retreat, the threshol! "or using that gun !oes !o n&/ Accor!ing to the 6ampa ?ay 6imes: @ Anyone ho is not engage! in illegal activity an! is in a place here he or she

has the right to 'e can claim sel".!e"ense in using violence against another& Aolice cannot arrest someone a person investigate& @ In most homici!es, prosecutors revie case !etails an! !eci!e hether charges ith a reasona'le claim& Bo arrest !oes not mean thoroughly police

ill never 'e charge!, 'ut it can a""ect ho

shoul! 'e "ile!& In sel".!e"ense cases, prosecutors ill not charge i" they "eel they cannot re"ute the personCs assertion o" sel".!e"ense& Dnce a charge is "ile!, the case moves into the court system& @ 6he la re8uires a Eu!ge to hol! a Fstan! your groun!F immunity hearing i" the

!e"en!ant as#s "or one& At that hearing, prosecutors must convince a Eu!ge there is enough evi!ence to go "or ar! to trial& I" they "ail, a Eu!ge can grant immunity "rom prosecution& Either si!e can appeal a Eu!geCs !ecision& @ I" immunity is !enie!, !e"en!ants can see# a plea agreement or ta#e their chances at trial, here they can still argue they ha! the right to stan! their

groun!& Gu!ges give Eurors !etaile! instructions, saying they cannot convict Eust 'ecause a !e"en!ant !i! not retreat or 'ecause he or she #ille! an unarme! victim& 0)& 6& Hris Iun!ley4

)ince the implementation o" the $stan! your groun!% la , !rug !ealers an! gang mem'ers have 'een a'le to al# a ay "rom criminal actions 'ase! on claims o" sel".!e"ense& 6he la has 'een use! ith constant "re8uency, 'ut not ith consistent legitimacy& A"ter the

shooting o" 6rayvon Martin, the 6ampa ?ay 6imes complete! an investigation o" me!ia reports, court recor!s an! several intervie s ith prosecutors an! !e"ense attorneys across the state o" 3lori!a& 6he investigation uncovere! the "ollo ing "acts surroun!ing the history o" $stan! your groun!%: 6hose ho invo#e Fstan! your groun!F to avoi! prosecution have 'een e7tremely success"ul& Bearly J0 percent have gone "ree& @ ;e"en!ants claiming Fstan! your groun!F are more li#ely to prevail i" the victim is 'lac#& )eventy.three percent o" those ho #ille! a 'lac# person "ace! no penalty

compare! to 5K percent o" those ho #ille! a hite& @ 6he num'er o" cases is increasing, largely 'ecause !e"ense attorneys are using Fstan! your groun!F in Iun!ley4 Accor!ing to an article pu'lishe! 'y the (niversity o" 3lori!a Gournal 2a L Au'lic Aolicy, the 6rayvon Martin case not only triggere! the matter o" the $stan! your groun!% la , 'ut incite! racial 8uestions as ell& 6he case le! many to on!er hether the accuse! shooter, George Mimmerman, as a man trying to protect his neigh'orhoo! "rom harm, or as an +illegal vigilante Eustice/ act 03lori!a4& It must also 'e consi!ere! that, i" someone is pre!ispose! to !isli#e a particular race o" people, they may also 'e pre!ispose! to act out against people o" that race an! $stan! your groun!% has the potential to 'e use! as a crutch& +6rayvon as unarme! an! not committing any crime& Ie as merely al#ing home "rom the store ith a 'ottle o" ice! tea an! can!y& (n"ortunately "or 6rayvon, it seems the only thing he as !oing that as suspicious as, 'eing ?lac#& 6his case highlights, "or a larger au!ience to see, that an ays state legislators never envisione!& 0)& 6& Hris

in!ivi!ualCs racial i!entity has real an! sometimes !ea!ly, conse8uences, "or those ho are negatively mar#e! 'y race&/ 03lori!a4 6he 6rayvon Martin case is certainly not the only e7ample o" possi'le racial pro"iling& Recently, the case o" Michael ;unn, ho stoo! trial in the month o" 3e'ruary 2014 "or the !eath o" 1J.year.ol! Gor!an ;avis an! the attempte! mur!er o" three other teens, gaine! me!ia attention& Michael ;unn is 45 year ol! hite man ho state! that he "elt threatene! 'y the group o" unarme!, 'lac# teens ho ere playing their music lou!ly& Accor!ing to the article 6hin# Arogress, !ate! 3e'ruary 5, 2014, +Martin an! ;avis are t o o" at least 26 chil!ren an! teens ho have !ie! in 3lori!a )tan! 1our Groun! cases&/ 03lato 4& 6he article "urther goes on to state that, +at least 20 states are associate! ith vigilantism, authori*ing violence 'y in!ivi!uals ho perceive a +reasona'le/ imminent threat to their li"e ithout any !uty to attempt to retreat&/ 03lato 4 Many "eel that this type o" non.retreat attitu!e promotes a vigilante attitu!e 'ut, there are still those ho !e"en! the $stan! your groun!% la & As the article +3our 9ays the )tan! 1our Groun! 2a is Aromoting Nigilantism/ points out/: 1& )tan! 1our Groun! casts asi!e the long.hel! !uty to retreat& 6his private la en"orcement attitu!e, ma!e possi'le an! em'ol!ene! 'y 3lori!a%s )tan! 1our Groun! la , couple! ith a permissive conceale! carry la , as the +'ut "or/ cause o" 6rayvon Martin%s !eath& ?ut "or the "act that Mimmerman e7ite! his vehicle that evening, 6rayvon Martin oul! 'e alive to!ay& 2& 6he la grants 'lan#et criminal an! civil immunity& I" a !e"en!ant re8uests a

pretrial )tan! 1our Groun! hearing, an! the Eu!ge "in!s that the !e"en!ant reasona'ly "eare! imminent 'o!ily harm, the Eu!ge can grant immunity "rom any

an! all charges 'e"ore the trial 'egins& An! in many cases, the la even provi!es immunity "rom arrest, as as initially the case ith George Mimmerman& >& 6he la presumes a #iller%s "ear as reasona'le& Dne seeming limitation on

)tan! 1our Groun! la s is that the #iller must have reasona'ly "eare! 'o!ily harm& ?ut in 3lori!a, as in several other states, the la no presumes

reasona'leness i" that #illing too# place in one%s home or vehicle& 4& 6he la "osters sel".perpetuating violence& Aromoting vigilantism is one

conse8uence o" )tan! 1our Groun! la s& ?ut as )ullivan arns, 'ehavioral changes may not 'e limite! to those ho ant the right to )tan! 1our Groun!& Aarticularly given the "acts o" the 6rayvon Martin case, he arns that young 'lac# 'oys motivate! 'y "ear o" a!ults li#e George Mimmerman may "eel compelle! to )tan! their groun!, too, in a cycle o" shoot "irst, or 'e shot& +6o 'e sure, this is not a orl! that I ant my son to gro up in,/ )ullivan says& ?ut i" he live! in a )tan! 1our Groun! state, he sai!, he oul! have no choice 'ut to a!vise his o n young 'lac# son, 6rey, to +shoot "irst/ an! as# 8uestions later i" he "eels threatene! 'y a stranger& +I oul! rather not counsel him in using lethal "orce hen 'eing pro"ile! 'y vigilantes& 03lato , 6hin# Arogress4 6he chart 'elo , as pu'lishe! 'y the (r'an (niversity Institute, !escri'es the li#elihoo! a homici!e is rule! Eusti"ie! hen there is a single victim, a single shooter, they are 'oth male, they are strangers, an! a "irearm is use!, similar to the circumstances in the Martin case !escri'e! earlier in this paper&

6his stu!y proves that, +Dverall, the rate o" Eusti"ia'le homici!es is almost si7 times higher in case ith attri'utes that match the Martin case& Racial !isparities are much larger, as hite.on. 'lac# homici!es have Eusti"ia'le "in!ings >> percentage points more o"ten than 'lac#.on. hite homici!es& )tan! 1our Groun! la s appear to e7acer'ate those !i""erences, as cases overall are signi"icantly more li#ely to 'e rule! Eusti"ie! in )1G states than in non.)1G states&/ 0Roman4 Although the $stan! your groun!% la as !esigne! to allo citi*ens the right to protect

themselves or their "amilies "rom an imminent threat o" !anger, the "allout "rom cases in hich the la has 'een invo#e! has le! to much controversy& 6he la has seemingly allo e! people

to opt out o" the a'ility to retreat "rom violence, an! instea! a!! to the violence alrea!y plaguing our country& 6he overall homici!e rate has increase!, 'ecause o" the +shoot "irst, as# 8uestions later/ mentality 0i" you say this in your conclusion, it shoul! 'e 'ac#e! up 'y "acts earlier in the paper& Are those there< I" there aren%t statistics sho ing that the homici!e rate has increase!, may'e ta#e this sentence out4& 6he statistics clearly sho that an in!ivi!ual%s 'ias against

another race can contri'ute to a vigilante attitu!e, lea!ing to the premature !eaths o" la a'i!ing citi*ens, an! a !ivision among Americans& As the i!esprea! controversy suggests, it ill 'e important in the !ays an! years to come "or la ma#ers to continue to analy*e the ins an! outs o" this la , the cases it touches an! ho those e""ect the citi*ens o" the country to ensure that some !on%t "eel over.empo ere! to ta#e the lives o" others ithout conse8uences&

Bibliography

3lato , Bicole& At 2east 26 Chil!ren or 6eens ;ie! In 3lori!a )tan! 1our Groun! Cases& 6hin# Arogress& 3e'ruary 5 2014& 9e'& 3e'ruary 14 2014& 3lato , Bicole& 9ays )tan! 1our Groun! Aromoting Nigilantism& 6hin# Arogress& Dcto'er 2K 201>& 9e'& Dcto'er 2K 201>& Iun!ley, Hris, )usan 6aylor Martin an! Connie Ium'urg& +3lori!a $stan! your groun!% la yiel!s some shoc#ing outcomes !epen!ing on ho la is applie!&/ Tampa Bay Times 1 Gune, 2012: n& pag& 9e'& 2> Apr& 2014& 2a son, 6amara& +A 3resh Cut in an Dl! 9oun!..A Critical Analysis o" the 6rayvon Martin Hilling: 6he Au'lic Dutcry, the Arosecutors% ;iscretion, an! the )tan! 1our Groun! 2a &/ Reuters, 6homson& )tan! 1our Groun! 2a s& 3in!la & April 2> 2014& 9e'& April 2> 2014& Roman, Gohn H& Ah&;& Race, Gusti"ia'le Iomici!e, an! )tan! 1our Groun! 2a s: Analysis o" 3?I )upplementary Iomici!e Report ;ata& (r'an Institute& Guly 201> (niversity o" 3lori!a Gournal o" 2a L Au'lic Aolicy& ;ec2012, Nol& 2> Issue >, p2J1.>10& 40p&