Research Paper – Stand Your Ground On the evening of February 26, 2012 a 17-year old unarmed boy, Trayvon Martin, was shot and killed in Sanford, Florida. Trayvon was killed by a man named Andrew Zimmerman, who stated that self-defense justified the murder of this young boy. An individual who doesn’t know the background of this case would reasonably believe that Trayvon Martin may have attacked Zimmerman, in which he used self-defense. However, Zimmerman was the initial aggressor in this case, whereas he sought after Trayvon Martin for reasons of suspicion. At Zimmerman’s trial on July 13, 2013 the jury reached a verdict of “not guilty” of the murder of Trayvon Martin. So we ask, how does one become acquitted of a murder on self-defense, …show more content…
This is not an upcoming issue; this has been around for years since these laws have taken effect in the 24 states. Throughout the nation there are documented cases where stand-your-ground laws have caused controversy and suspects were acquitted of criminal charges. There are a few significant cases that represent the threat and repercussions posed by these SYG laws. One of these cases took place in Houston, Texas in November 2007. A 61- year old man named Joe Horn made a 911 call stating that there were two burglars in the home next door. Despite Horn being instructed to stay in his home by the 911 dispatcher, he still remained absorbed in taking matters into his own hands. On the 911 call Horn stated “The laws have been changed…since September the first and I have a right to protect myself,” Horn said. “I ain’t gonna let them get away with this shit. I’m sorry, this ain’t right, buddy … They got a bag of loot … Here it goes buddy, you hear the shotgun clicking and I’m going.” (Lee, 2012) While the dispatcher was still on the phone, Horn fired three gun shots and the two Colombian men were both hit in the back. After, he returned to the line justifying to the dispatcher why he killed the two men. When officers arrived at the scene Horn was not arrested and nor was he indicted by the grand jury. This particular case portrays how the …show more content…
It allows people the opportunity to handle fear and anger in a deadly way as well as revenge and retaliation. Every one person handles situations differently; some may be sensitive to events and some may handle it well. Therefore, by allowing people to enforce the law by using deadly force will offer a sense of shoot-to-kill freedom. It sends a nation into outrage when senseless murders are justified by the court system. When a racially biased system allows for the killings of innocent people based on skin color. In addition to, the killing of young teens that are unarmed and have a right to be where they are. SYG laws allow for a greater fear against other persons, than the fear that it is meant to
Individuals’ right to keep and bear arms in self-defense should be further restricted. For example, George Zimmermann – neighborhood watch citizen responsible for the teenager Treyvon Martin’s death
On March 12, 2012 Bill Lee, the Chief of Police for Sanford Florida, explained Zimmerman had not been arrested because the police found no evidence to refute Zimmerman’s self-defense claim (Timeline of events: Trayvon Martin shooting case). Then the media decided to bully the state of Florida into bringing Florida by influencing public opinion. One of the ways the media achieved this was by making it seem like the reason there was no evidence to refute Zimmerman’s claim of self-defense, and Zimmerman’s eventual acquittal, was because of the controversial law in several states, including Florida, known as “Stand-Your Ground.”
The Zimmerman case allowed me to be aware of something that was right in front of me. At a young age, my mother's significant other was arrested and imprisoned for "trafficking drugs". My mother had always maintained that he was initially arrested due to racial profiling, as there was no sufficient evidence to warrant the police to search his car. Despite this information being told to me as a child, I remained blind to the effects that such a system of injustice could have on your economic status, mental health, etc. However, I believe that the outcome of the Zimmerman trial opened my eyes to this effect. I believe that Trayvon Martin's family most likely received the same financial and emotional stresses due to the racial injustice associated with their experience. However, they had lost their son. Following the shooting of Trayvon Martin, I began to understand the effect that systemic racism could have on the lives of Black people, and how it had already been affecting
Stand your ground law is a self-defense law that authorize a person to protect and defend one’s own life. Only few states in the U.S including Florida (2005) pass this law. On April 30, 2013 George Zimmerman waives his rights to a “stand your ground” pretrial immunity hearing as CNN states. His attorneys decides to try this as a “self-defends’ case. Judge will have to decide if his actions were protected under the
The case in summary sparks room for debate on whether Zimmerman should be punished for his actions; however, many allegations lack raw evidence to support their claims. In “The Facts In The George Zimmerman Trial”, by Jeffrey Toobin, the known facts are laid out as the picture of what actually happened on that night is painted. This was conveyed when Toobin wrote, “On the night of February 26, 2012, Zimmerman was patrolling the Retreat at Twin Lakes, a town-house development in Sanford, Florida, At 7:09 P.M.” (Toobin). Later that night “Zimmerman asks that the police call him upon their arrival so he can provide his location. Zimmerman ends the call at 7:13 P.M. The first police officer arrived on the scene at 7:17 P.M., by which time Tray...
All in all, the man accused of murdering Trayvon Martin, was not found guilty and will undoubtedly be imprinted in America’s history. As a result of the verdict, many citizens were alarmed around the nation and has generated an immense amount of controversy. The three academic government reports I have used explained why crimes occur within certain neighborhoods and what can be used to prevent and deter individuals from committing the same type of offense.
The article ‘Stand your Ground’ Laws Encourage Vigilantes is a short opinionated piece written by Cynthia Tucker. It covers the topic of self-defense laws more commonly known as stand your ground laws and how she feels they help spread racism towards black citizens, and why they should be repealed. To get her point across to the reader she uses examples of a few high profile cases that demonstrates her opinion. The article also states information about the ...
Stand-your-ground laws state that an individual has no duty to retreat from any place they have lawful right to be, and may use any level of force, including lethal, if they reasonably believe they face an imminent and immediate threat of serious bodily harm or death. This laws are an extension of the“Castle Doctrine,” an established legal principle which says that a person is protected under the law to use deadly force in self-defense when his or her property or home is being invaded. More than 30 states in the U.S. have adopted some form of “Castle doctrine” or “stand your ground” laws on their books.
The “Stand Your Ground” law initially indicates that individuals can use force to defend themselves without first attempting to retreat from danger. The Stand Your Ground laws are very confrontational as to where according to FindLaw.com this law is claimed to be encouraging violence leading to “shoot first, ask questions later” attitude. http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-law-basics/stand-your-ground-laws.html
Many people, largely of the minority populous, feel strongly that George Zimmerman was a man on a mission, completely disregarded what authorities had recommended he should do, and took upon himself to create a completely avoidable situation and end the life of a teenager. He was first of all armed with a nine millimeter handgun and following Trayvon Martin while it had already darkened outside. Putting yourself in Trayvon Martins’ shoes, it becomes clear to see how if found in that particular situation, you would too try to protect yourself. The fact is there are only two people who know exactly that night, one is no longer with us and the other is George Zimmerman. It is clear to point out the fact that Mr. Zimmerman seemed to instigate the fight that lead to the death of the teenage boy, or did he? After all, one must point out the fact that Zimmerman was the neighborhood watch captain that night when he felt as though Trayvon was acting suspicious. At this point, we have a teenage boy wearing a hooded top walking through the streets in route to his father’s house, while there is an individual who spots him and begins approach to see if the boy is up to no good. Following the melee that ensues, George Zimmerman claims he was attacked first and had two
The out come of most cases when they go to court the burden falls on the court to disprove self-defense and not really on the defendants to prove that they acted legitimately. Several high profile cases has overwhelmed that conception that stand your ground law is anything but flawless if anything it has been brought up more reasons why such law needs to be re-evaluated and changed. For an example of a poor assumption of stand your ground law is the Zimmerman and Martin case in Florida where Zimmerman a neighborhood watch was told to stand down and he ended up killing him because he looked suspicious was found not guilty. An African American woman who was being abused by her husband shot in the air killing no one was found guilty for shooting to protect her-self shows that there are many flaws with the stand your ground laws that are not right. Another case of stand your ground the Jodi Arias who was convicted of stabbing her boyfriend Travis Alexander twenty-seven and slashing his throat and shooting him in the head, how does this law fit into this crime? How can one be allowed to claim such a defense, I would think that there lawyer should not be allowed to let there clients use that
Saturday July 13, 2013 the George Zimmerman trial began. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty for both second-degree murder and the lesser charge of manslaughter. The jury deliberated for sixteen hours before arriving at a verdict, which was read in court shortly after 10
Stand-your-ground Law - "Stand-your-ground Law." Wikipedia. The World of the. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Mar.
Imagine that your daughter is walking home from the store. A man in a black car starts following her. He gets out and begins to follow her by foot. You daughter begins to run in fear. The suspicious character begins running after her. She stops and decides to face her fear. She knees him and pepper sprays him. Seconds later, shots were fired leaving your daughter dead. She is the aggressor and he is justified for shooting her in “self-defense” under the stand your ground law. The stand-your-ground law is a law that states that an individual has the lawful right to use any level of forces, including lethal force, if they are faced in any situation where they feel harmed. The first “stand your ground” law was passed in April of 2005 in Florida.WHile the “Stand Your Ground” law can be used as self defense, it puts the lives of African American youth in danger by allowing people to take unfair advantage of the law: therefore, O.C.G.A 16-3-23.1 should be prohibited.
Police officers primary responsibility is to protect and serve citizens and communities, not to abuse the laws by hurting innocent people. In most states Stand-Your-Ground laws allows innocent citizens the right to use deadly force to defend and protect themselves. But what if they were protecting themselves from police brutality. Police brutality has been going on for many years; they can cause riots, injuries, and even mistrust for the police.