Reply #14

The trouble with Florida's 'stand your ground' law
A Times Editorial
In Print:: Tuesday, March 20, 2012

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The Florida Legislature passed the law in 2005 at the behest of the National Rifle Association but over the staunch objections of law enforcement. The law allows the use of deadly force when a person is in a place he has a right to be and feels reasonably threatened with serious harm. Opponents dubbed it the "shoot first" law because people have no duty to attempt to retreat from a threat of violence even if they could do so safely. History has borne them out.

Since the law went into effect, reports of justifiable homicides have tripled, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It has been used to absolve violence resulting from road rage, barroom arguments and even a gang gunfight. In 2008, two gangs in Tallahassee got into a shootout where a 15-year-old boy was killed. The charges were dismissed by a judge citing the "stand your ground" law.

In a high-profile Tampa Bay case, Trevor Dooley is using "stand your ground" as his legal defense, claiming that he was entitled to shoot and kill David James, his Valrico neighbor, during an argument over skateboarding on a basketball court. Hillsborough Circuit Judge Ashley Moody will consider Dooley's motion to dismiss the charges against him on April 26.

More: http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article1220845.ece

Witnesses dispute Trevor Dooley's 'Stand Your Ground' claim in Valrico shooting

By John Barry, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Dec 14, 2011 08:09 PM

Read the entire article: http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/witnesses-dispute-trevor-dooleys-stand-your-ground-claim-in-valrico/1206308