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In reply to the discussion: Michael Dunn, Florida Man, Invokes 'Stand Your Ground' Law After Shooting Black Teen [View all]Sekhmets Daughter
(7,515 posts)57. Had there been no public outcry
Zimmerman would have walked away free as a bird. The police department initially cleared him of all responsibility without an investigation. So the law is not perfect, and needs some fine tuning, at the least.
Was it even an issue as the person your wife shot was in your home? We've had the castle law in FL for a long time, we didn't need a law that makes vigilantes out of morons.
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Michael Dunn, Florida Man, Invokes 'Stand Your Ground' Law After Shooting Black Teen [View all]
SecularMotion
Nov 2012
OP
The police department and DA were clearly imperfect...they accepted self defense
ProgressiveProfessor
Nov 2012
#66
The early hearing is FL unique and still requires documenting the elements of self defense
ProgressiveProfessor
Nov 2012
#73
That presumption is rebuttable - The perception of a threat has to be reasonable for the defense...
slackmaster
Nov 2012
#67
For someone who sees things in black and white, purple is in some sense refreshing...
Eleanors38
Nov 2012
#99
Ha! I like the "damned Yankee" definition. The unfortunate thing about death...
Eleanors38
Dec 2012
#130
My Dad, usually reticent in personal matters, told me this about his father...
Eleanors38
Dec 2012
#132
"The FL SYG law is so broadly written it is little more than a license to kill."
PavePusher
Nov 2012
#109
Or if the response to your request makes you scared enough to start shooting...
krispos42
Nov 2012
#32
The point of it is, he could have just ignored and endured it for the couple of minutes
Blue_Tires
Nov 2012
#42
I always carry a fresh pair of squishy ear plugs with me for just that reason...
slackmaster
Nov 2012
#80
Criminal intent (mens rea) is at the core of common law crimes, I would say.
Callisto32
Nov 2012
#113
Hold your horses, safeinOhio. We have no way of knowing his state of mind at the time.
slackmaster
Nov 2012
#14
It seems to me like this 'SYG' business should be decided by a jury, not by police at the scene
rbixby
Nov 2012
#56
It is not at all decided by the police. It is decided by the local prosecuter...
PavePusher
Nov 2012
#111
You may get dog-piled for posting that without a sarcasm tag, but I hope you are right.
slackmaster
Nov 2012
#15
Exception is multiple shots during a single attempt to shoot the intruder
ProgressiveProfessor
Nov 2012
#94