| Teesus | Date: Wednesday, 2013/07/17, 6:21 PM | Message # 1 | DMCA |
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 Credit: Dustin and Jenae Trayvon Martin’s death was by any measure a tragedy. In the aftermath, a
spotlight has shone on what had been a relatively obscure change in law
about when a homicide is legally considered to be justified. Stand Your
Ground (SYG) laws have been passed in 23 states and, to varying degrees,
extend the right to use lethal force in self-defense outside of the
home.Last week, the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights voted to undertake an inquiry to determine whether SYG laws introduce
racial bias into decisions about whether a homicide is justified. The
American Bar Association National Task Force on Stand Your Ground Laws
is holding a series on public meetings, including one Thursday, June 6 in Philadelphia as part of its inquiry. (Full disclosure: I am a member of the ABA task force).SYG laws extend the Castle Doctrine—which allows for the use of lethal force in the defense of your home—to
public spaces. Some further extend the rights of the shooter by not
allowing police to arrest a shooter unless they have probable cause that
their claim of self-defense is untrue. These laws, in effect, move
determinations of justice from a deliberate process in the courts to a
chaotic one at a crime scene. Many are concerned that this will
introduce racial bias into the process.
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