This Is What Happens

[The Old Creak]

when right wingers control the making of law.

"Up to 30 shots blazed between two groups of men in a late-night 2008 street skirmish, killing a 15-year-old boy. Last week a Tallahassee judge decided Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law forced him to dismiss charges against two of the combatants.

Michael Jackson died on Holton Street two years ago, his fate wrapped up in the vagaries of an exchange of bullets among young men in an ongoing dispute. Jeffrey Brown and Andrae Tyler were found immune from prosecution after a Leon County mini-trial, their legal fates decided by the state Legislature more than five years before.
State Attorney Willie Meggs said the Legislature should repeal "that stinking law." The judge who made the decision wrote that the law created an environment "very much like the Wild West." Gun-rights advocates say the law, working as intended, protects innocent people from prosecution."

What's a old "libral" like me to do, living here in Florida. Go fishing in the Gulf?
:sarcasm:

'Wild West' in Fla. streets? http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20100523/NEWS01/5230322/-Wild-West-in-Fla-streets-

[aikoaiko]

1. I'm not so clear on the fact of this case but if there is evidence of murder, "stand your ground"

laws don't apply.

If I remember correctly, the presumption of innocence can be rebutted with evidence of criminal homicide.

[ManiacJoe]

2. Talk about bad reporting.

After the first two paragraphs, you have to go to the last three on the last page just to get a vague idea of what the article was about.

Based on what the reporter does not want to write about, it sounds like the DA dropped the ball by either fumbling the case against Brown or by charging the wrong parties in the first place.

[PavePusher]

3. How often does this happen?

Not that common an issue, right....

[benEzra]

4. Yeah, changing Florida's law re: public places to match that of most blue states was SO reactionary.

The presumption of justification under the Florida law that the Brady Campaign likes to complain about applies only to using potentially deadly force to stop an illegal home invasion or carjacking. AFAIK, the only change the new law would have made in this case would have been to eliminate the duty to try to run away from somebody trying to kill you, trying to cause serious bodily injury, or a forcible felony, and if it's ruled justifiable then your attacker cannot later sue you for defending yourself against him.

The reporter fumbled this one. If the only thing they could have charged him with under the old law was failing to run for his life, then either the shooting was justifiable under the laws of most states, or the prosecutor screwed up and had to let him off on a technicality.

[Euromutt]

6. Bingo!

If the only thing they could have charged him with under the old law was failing to run for his life, then either the shooting was justifiable under the laws of most states, or the prosecutor screwed up and had to let him off on a technicality.

Exactly right. The only thing that "stand your ground" laws do is not oblige you to attempt to flee before using lethal force; the use of lethal force still has to be justifiable in every other respect. Sounds to me like state attorney Meggs is blaming the law for his own failure to make a case.

[jazzhound]

7. I believe that this would be a classic example of how the VPC and Brady Bunch

rely on the willful ignorance of their constituency to spin any given situation to fit their agenda. A perfect relationship!

Pro-"control" citizens aren't interested in any facts which contradict their faith-based opinions/"arguments", and the "control" advocacy organizations are good enough not to disturb their blissful slumber.

[slackmaster]

5. Michael Jackson is DEAD?!?!?!?!?

OMG!

[AtheistCrusader]

8. If both shooters can claim 'self defense', then somewhere, theres a DA that isn't worth his paystub