Florida governor signs bolstered 'stand your ground' law

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Florida Governor Rick Scott signed amended "stand your ground" legislation on Friday, making it easier for defendants in the state to successfully claim they were protecting themselves when they commit violence.

Previously, the law required defendants to prove that they were using force in self-defense. The new law shifts the burden of proof in pretrial hearings to prosecutors, rather than defendants, to prove whether force was used lawfully.

Supporters of stand your ground laws, including the National Rifle Association, the powerful U.S. gun lobby, see the legislation as bolstering civilians' right to protect themselves.

Florida's self-defense law was initially passed in 2005, and inspired similar laws in other states. It removes the legal responsibility to retreat from a dangerous situation and allows the use of deadly force when a person feels greatly threatened.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-guns-idUSKBN19033X

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POLITICS | Fri Jun 9, 2017 | 7:57pm EDT

[TexasBushwhacker]

1. They should call it the "More Dead People" law n/t

[BlueStater]

2. Jesus Christ, this state sucks.

[SergeStorms]

3. So they're pretty much......

saying you can shoot anyone in your general vicinity without fear of repercussions (except that that person had to scare you first). Halloween should be a laugh riot this year.

I'm so glad I moved out of Florida when I did. Florida's rednecks are second to none in the gratuitous violence department. The heat and humidity in the summer creates tension by itself. Add ANYTHING else to that, and "stand your ground" becomes the crime Du Jour. EVERYONE thinks they're being attacked, and they feel fully justified in shooting anyone in their way. Now they've made THAT easier!

[judesedit]

4. If a redneck bothers you Scott says you can shoot him I guess

You don't even have to prove it.

[judesedit]

5. I'm thinking that goes for abusive husbands and boyfriends too

[HAB911]

20. No, that falls under domestic law

I don't think you are allowed to stand your ground, at least women aren't


update:

(1) A person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another when using or threatening to use defensive force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm to another if:

(a) The person against whom the defensive force was used or threatened was in the process of unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle, or if that person had removed or was attempting to remove another against that person’s will from the dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle; and
(b) The person who uses or threatens to use defensive force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry or unlawful and forcible act was occurring or had occurred.

(2) The presumption set forth in subsection (1) does not apply if:
(a) The person against whom the defensive force is used or threatened has the right to be in or is a lawful resident of the dwelling, residence, or vehicle, such as an owner, lessee, or titleholder, and there is not an injunction for protection from domestic violence or a written pretrial supervision order of no contact against that person;

[B Stieg]

6. A.L.E.C. strikes again!

The American Legislative Exchange Council promulgates these sorts of laws, and it's $ backed by the Koch brothers, of course.
[link:https://www.alec.org/?gclid=CjwKEAjwse7JBRCJ576SqoD7lCkSJABF-bKuKrLF5e_yLO_UjGBXM85IZ6GSwmQJWfo9G2Qg6F_0txoCKNLw_wcB|

[Voltaire2]

7. License to kill people of color.

That is all this is. Boy had a hoodie, self defense law.

[hack89]

10. I doubt that will be the impact

inter-racial killings are rare. Whites kill whites and AA kill AA is the norm.

I think this law will make it easier for shooters of any race to get away with killing someone.

[Cryptoad]

8. Boycott Florida

,,, and if not, never go to Florida unarmed!

[geomon666]

9. So does this mean we can shoot back at police?

Because they are pretty fucking threatening in this state.

[greymattermom]

11. Now that's interesting

also, the Governor seems threatening to many.

[keithbvadu2]

12. Makes sense?

[The Wizard]

13. Does this mean when the radicals

show up a political rally with automatic weapons we can say we feel threatened and open fire? The siege mentality will catch up with them and in the end they will eliminate each other. All it will take is a pack of firecrackers going off at one of their "patriot" gatherings.

[cab67]

14. Florida is where these laws will come to an end.

Back in the 1980's, there was a series of high-profile violent crimes (including murders) committed by teenagers against foreign tourists. Several European countries issued travel advisories against going to Florida. As a result, Florida became the first state to allow prosecutors to charge juveniles as adults.

Eventually, some idiot is going to shoot and kill a traveller from abroad and get away with it under the "stand your ground" rationale. And other countries will issue travel advisories.

There are more special interest groups per square meter in Florida than any other state in the union, but the tourism industry is far and away the predominant lobby. And if they stand to lose tourist dollars because of these foolish stand your ground laws, the Florida legislature may decide to revisit the issue.

[-Steph-]

15. So we're all supposed to feel safer because there will be more violence...

[CanonRay]

16. I will never go to Florida with this law in place

it is IMHO insane and a license for murder.

[turbinetree]

17. Fuck that state, I mean really, Fuck the State,

and my wife's relatives want us to move there fuck, just because there is no sales tax , dumn fucks don't know that there is a tax on everything, its just being seen on the bill of sale.

Now anyone can just walk up and blow someones brains out and say self fucking defense, hey NRA FUCK you

Has the NRA and that fucking legislature and that asshole governor know whats called equal protection of force means , do they understand what that means, it means if some one has a stick and there beating you you have the same right to have a stick beat back to protect yourself, not a fucking gun

The sunshine state of sadistic assholes

[Hoyt]

18. I expect Florida to give folks like George Zimmerman a tax credit for killing unarmed teenagers.

[azureblue]

19. That is, until ----

a POC "stands his ground" and shoots a white person.. I can see it right now - some dumb ass cracker racist harasses a black guy, yells, threatens, etc., and the black guy shoots him dead " for fear of his life". Then watch how quickly the law gets ignored..

Face it, SYG is a law for whites only.

[larry budwell]

21. It will make it more interesting

to go night shopping at Walmart fully armed.

[Moral Compass]

22. Legalizing murder?

Near as I can tell they may have just legalized murder. Pot is still illegal, but murder (as long as it is done using a gun) is just fine. As long you say (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) that you were in fear for your life.

Do you ever just want to draw the drapes, curl up in fetal position, and mutter to yourself all day long?

Thank god I live in Texas where all the normal people live.

[Luciferous]

24. What a dumb idea- glad I have no reason to go to Florida!

[mdbl]

25. is Mickey Mouse packing heat now?

If not, he better.

[HockeyMom]

26. Loud Music at Gas Station?

Won't turn it down? Shoot them (black teens).

Somebody cuts you in line at pizza place? Stand your ground! Shoot them.

Seafood Salesman? Shoot him in the back when leaving you property.

Meter Reader "trespassing" on your property? Threaten to to shoot her. Little kids (10 year olds) riding bikes on the street across from your property? Threaten to shoot them too.

Just a FEW examples of the Gunshine State. George Zimmerman is just the tip of an iceberg.

[J_William_Ryan]

27. The theory

is that the ‘stand your ground’ doctrine will act as a ‘deterrent’ to crime; criminals will refrain from committing crimes if the criminal believes his victim may shoot and kill with relative impunity.

The problem with the theory is that it fails as a confirmation bias fallacy – there’s no evidence that citizens carrying a concealed weapon acts as a ‘deterrent’ to crime.

Another problem is that far too many who carry concealed firearms are ignorant of the law, and don’t understand when the use of deadly force is legally warranted, such as shooting at a fleeing attacker.

[J_William_Ryan]

28. Linked below

is an article concerning a case of ‘stand your ground’ and the outcome of the hearing held to determine if deadly force was justified:

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/judge-to-rule-in-controversial-movie-theater-stand-your-ground-hearing-on-friday