...s The Right to Stand Your Ground Florida is among 21 states with a "Stand Your Ground Law," which gives people wide latitude to use deadly force rather than retreat during a fight. The self-defense law helps explain why a neighborhood watch captain has not been arrested in the shooting death of an unarmed teenager. The shooting of the 17 year old Trayvon Martin has beyond doubt questioned Florida’s “Stand Your Ground Law”. Many have proclaimed that in Florida anyone who believes he is in danger can use deadly force, no matter how unreasonable his belief. This perception of the law is very wrong. The night that Trayvon was killed, George Zimmerman called the police saying that he sees a very suspicious young man that looks like he is up to no good, or on drugs or something. While Zimmerman was on the phone with the 911 operator he noticed that Martin had his hands in his pockets. Zimmerman was asked to stay in his car and not to follow then teen. The 911 operator said that we don’t need you to follow him. Zimmerman created his own crime. He had been instructed to stop the pursuit and did not. He decided to take the law into his own hands; Trayvon was killed. Zimmerman was arrested after killing Trayvon that night; he was taken into for questioning but was set free a few hours later. Since he was crying self-defense does that justify that he was free 6 weeks after the murder? That isn’t fair that someone can take the law into their own hands when they are told to stay...
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...State of Florida v. George Zimmerman Abstract Our group chose to do the highly debatable case regarding George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin. Based on the various parts from group members, it would seem we have both sides of the case so there will be discussion from either point of view. Our paper is not going to sway the reader in either direction, but simply state the facts for each side and give an overview of the case from our perspective. Introduction Within the last year, our country has seen one of the most high-profile murder cases unfold. This case is none other than the State of Florida v. George Zimmerman, for the charges of second-degree murder of Trayvon Martin. It took the State roughly two weeks to file an affidavit that stated Zimmerman profiled and confronted Trayvon Martin then shot and killed him when Martin was doing nothing wrong (Colby, Hamacher, & Emmanuel, 2012). This case became a highly political case as well as a racially invoked case. There are always two sides to every case and with that being said, this case could be pulled very far in either direction based on any given individual’s beliefs. George Zimmerman entered a not guilty plea with “stand your ground” as his defense for the charges filed against him. This case did go to trial where 10 jurors, 6 main and 4 alternatives; all female. Background Information George Zimmerman was involved with his local neighborhood watch program. He frequently walked with his dog while doing his...
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...Hate Crimes in America; the Trayvon Martin Story Cynthia Ellerbee COM/156 May 19, 2012 Laura Babbitt Abstract Hate Crimes in America; the Trayvon Martin Story In 2005, Florida became the first state to expand an ancient rule of law called the castle doctrine. That doctrine says that if strangers enter your house without permission, you can use deadly force to defend yourself. The Florida legislature decided that the old common law should extend not only to the sidewalk outside your house but to "any other place where he or she has a right to be"--any street, any park, any store: anywhere. It is called the Florida Stand Your Ground Law. (Cloud & Altman, 2012) Trayvon Martin was a lanky 6’3 17 year old African American boy. He attended Carol City Senior High in Miami Gardens, Florida and made A’s and B’s. Trayvon was a boy who did his family and community proud. It wasn't just that he mowed the lawn every weekend with his dad, worked the concession at a football field and helped his neighbors with their groceries. His mother had drilled manners into him, and it showed. "It was always 'Thank you,'" says Johnson, 60, his great-aunt. Each year he put up her Christmas decorations, and come summer he pulled the weeds from her yard. "He didn't mind anything you wanted him to do," she says. At 9, Trayvon helped his dad to safety when a fire broke out in the family kitchen. As he grew older, Trayvon, who had a love for aircraft, longed to go on to college like his...
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...Stand Your Ground To Be Denied In the United States there are an outstanding amount of violent crimes and incidents that involve different self-defense laws. In recent days Massachusetts law makers are discussing the adoption of the extension castle doctrine, the ‘stand your ground’ law. This is because there is a growing average amount of questionable and justifiable crimes happening on the streets. The “stand your ground“ law allows an individual to protect him or herself with self defense if they feel their life is at stake or going to be subjected to serious bodily harm. With many positives and negatives to this law it should not be passed in Massachusetts and be removed from all states where this law exists. The ‘Stand Your Ground’ law promotes vigilantes to conjure up crimes through loopholes, allows people to commit crimes based off of prejudicial profiling, and is misunderstood and used improperly so law enforcers don’t know when to act on the law and when to enforce it. As it stands now there are twenty four states in the United States that hold the 'stand your ground' law in which each state has its own definition. With the recent case Florida vs. Zimmerman in Florida, where Zimmerman killed a boy Martin without good reason, the law is being questioned on its definition and misuse. Currently Florida statutes chapter 776 defines justifiable use of force. In the subset .012 it states a person is allowed to use force, except deadly force, against another person when...
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...Trayvon Martin was only 17 years old, when he was gunned down and shot to death by George Zimmerman. Mr. Zimmerman at the time was the neighborhood watch on patrol for anything suspicious. He noticed a young African American male, now known as Trayvon Martin. He described Trayvon as a ‘thug’ walking alone with a hoodie over his head. Mr. Zimmerman then made a call to 911 dispatcher. He was concerned about an unknown male walking in a neighborhood he did not belong to. Despite being told several times to not follow the teen, Mr. Zimmerman ignored those warnings and continued to follow after the teen. At some point Trayvon and Mr. Zimmerman became physical with one another. At some point through the struggle, a gun was drawn shooting Trayvon Martin to death....
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...The stand your ground law is a law that enables citizens to basically stand their ground, and use unlawful force to protect and defend themselves against threats. These threats include anything that is a danger to their lives. Such as a person with a gun or an object that can do bodily harm to a person. There are many more concepts to the stand your ground law. Each state has their own take on it. Some don’t even have the law put in place. But the law was initially put in place for the better of the people. Montana’s stand your ground law states that “A person who is lawfully in a place or location and is threatened with bodily injury or loss of life has no duty to retreat from a threat or summon law enforcement assistance prior to using force.”...
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...February 6th, 2012, Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman while on his way home. This event sparked national outrage, as many believed Martin, a black teenager, was a victim of racial profiling. Months later, Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder, and thus began the case State of Florida v. George Zimmerman. This case made national headlines, and many were unhappy with its ruling. Ultimately, this case is incredibly significant due to what occurred, the laws involved, the evidence presented, the final verdict, and the case’s lasting impact. The circumstances of the crime are what made this crime and this case such a national headline. The victim, Trayvon Martin, was walking home after purchasing snacks from the local 7-Eleven when George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, saw him and became...
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...The fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman took place on the night of February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida, United States. Martin was a 17-year-old African American high school student. George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old mixed-race Hispanic, was the neighborhood watch coordinator for the gated community where Martin was temporarily staying and where the shooting took place. Following an earlier call from Zimmerman, police arrived within two minutes of a gunshot during an altercation in which Zimmerman fatally shot Martin, who did not have any weapons. Zimmerman was taken into custody, treated for head injuries, then questioned for five hours. The police chief said that Zimmerman was released because there was no evidence to refute Zimmerman's claim of having acted in self-defense, and that under Florida's Stand Your Ground statute, the police were prohibited by law from making an arrest. The police chief also said that Zimmerman had had a right to defend himself with lethal force. Why this case captured America’s attention *What is the history of racial violence in America? Youth? Unarmed? Hoodie? Stand your ground - Mexican women lost her case confuse reader present every side of the case http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/11/why-did-trayvon-martin-s-death-upset-us-more-than-black-kids-killing-each-other/281452/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-your-ground_law http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/05/us/trayvon-martin-shooting-fast-facts/...
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...Stand your ground rule Julio Martinez ITT Technical Institute Mr. Horne Abstract A "stands your ground" law states that a person may use deadly force in self-defense without the duty to retreat when faced with a reasonable perceived threat. So what's the problem with this law, it seems that since the shooting of Trayvon Martin this law got put in the spot light, or is it racial profiling. Can the press play a big part on how this law is being criticize or are they using these shooting for rating. Stand your ground rule So what is the stand your ground rule? A “stands your ground” law states that a person may use deadly force in self-defense without the duty to retreat when faced with a reasonable perceived threat. The laws expand on the “Castle doctrine,” 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. About sixty percent of the states have some kind of “Castle doctrine” or “stand your ground”. So what’s the problem with this law, it seems that since the shooting of Trayvon Martin this law got put in the spot light. Are we the people abusing this law or are we just ignorant to the law. So is this law case in particular out in the spot light because of a young black man been shot or because the shooting was wrongful. What about Jordan Davis? Did Michael Dunn have the right to shot Jordan Davis in self-defense? Did he deserve to die because of loud music? So here we have a...
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...dead lying on the ground. Under Florida’s stand your ground law George Zimmerman would have legally defended himself against Trayvon martin even though Zimmerman started the incident. The stand your ground law is basically a law that removes your duty to retreat. So if you get into a fight with someone you legally don't have to back down and can “stand your ground”. It is very similar to the castle doctrine which states a person does not have to flee when their place of residence is attacked.Many believe the stand your ground law is too much because it gives everyday citizens too much freedom to use lethal force. Lethal force should only be used when there is no other option. More than twenty-two states have passes laws similar to the stand your ground law. In Florida the law was passed in 2005....
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...Getting away with Murder There are different laws in each state that allow citizens to protect themselves against a criminal. However, Florida’s law Stand your ground is giving todays citizens a right to kill. Every day we read about a new case where this law justifies the killing of another person. This law was made up to protect criminals and people who choose to kill when they could have easily avoided the whole situation. Shoot first and ask questions later should have been the name of this law. Walking home from the convenient store, playing your music in your car at a gas station, or even going to the movies and asking someone to keep it down has become a scary task. How is it possible that you run the risk of getting shot or killed by doing these everyday normal tasks and the person responsible for your death gets off Scott free with no repercussion for their actions? Having the right to protect yourself when you are seriously in harm’s way is necessary, but useless acts of violence is what todays people are doing and justifying it in court with the Stand your Ground law. This is turning innocent people into targets for angry individuals to take their frustrations or dislikes out on. I want to have the right to walk down the street with a hoodie on and not fear for my life. Gun laws have been restricted over the U.S since the Sandy Hook shootings; however Florida still hasn’t caught up with these actions and still provides an out for over zelles gun toting...
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...played a big part in the outcome of the verdict. The outcome of this case has become one of the most controversial issues among many Americans people today. Justice System On July 13th 2013, a Florida jury acquitted George Zimmerman of all charges in the February 2012 shooting and killing of 17-year-old African American male, Trayvon Martin. The verdict “Not Guilty” caused an outrage among many Americans, mostly African Americans. Many Americans sought for justice, believing that Mr. Zimmerman was indeed guilty of murdering Mr. Martin on the act of racism, and that the justice system had failed to protect the rights of African Americans. Zimmerman was cheered by those who agreed that he was acting in self-defense, whereas others believed Zimmerman had targeted Martin because he was African American. On February 26th, 2012, Mr. Martin was walking back home from a Convenient Store, where he was followed by Mr. Zimmerman. Mr. Zimmerman who was on the Neighborhood Watch Committee for his community, believed that Mr. Martin was suspicious because he was walking in the rain at nighttime. Mr. Zimmerman and Mr. Martin got into a confrontation and Mr. Zimmerman shot in killed Mr. Martin; in claim of self defense. Many people have called Zimmerman’s actions reprehensible, and that the tragic event was caused by racial profiling and bias. They asserted that Mr. Martin was defenseless, an unarmed 17-year-old teenager, whom Mr. Zimmerman...
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...acism. That’s a word we have been hearing quite a lot about with regard to the Trayvon Martin shooting. Just in case you've missed this story, Martin was a 17-year-old African American who was shot and killed on February 26, 2012. With all the relentless news coverage, most us know these basic facts: Martin went to a 7-Eleven store during half-time of the NBA All Star Game. He bought a packet of Skittles and some iced tea and was returning to the home of his father's fiancée in Sanford, Florida when he encountered George Zimmerman. Zimmerman was a neighborhood watch captain with a long-standing interest in law enforcement. He thought Martin looked suspicious and called 911. Although the 911 dispatcher told him not do so, Zimmerman followed Martin and according to Zimmerman, Martin attacked him, causing injuries to Zimmerman’s nose and the back of his head; Zimmerman says that in order to defend himself, he fired on the unarmed teen. The case highlights Florida's 2005 "stand your ground" law. The law allows people to defend themselves, using deadly force, if they feel their lives are threatened. Florida legislators who crafted the law say that it was meant to allow Floridians who, for example, were defending their own property, to avoid being charged with a crime. Zimmerman invoked the stand your ground law and has not been arrested or charged; given that Martin was unarmed, and simply walking through the neighborhood there has been widespread outrage and charges of racism...
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...and killed 17 year old Trayvon Martin with a 9mm pistol. Mr. Zimmerman claims this was in self-defense. Trayvon was armed with an Arizona Ice Tea beverage and a package of candy Skittles he had just bought from the local convenience store. The Sanford Police Department questioned Mr. Zimmerman and then released him without arrest, using the “Stand Your Ground” law as his defense. In this horrific situation the Police Department had a moral if not legal, responsibility to further detain and even arrest this man, on the ethical principles of Privacy, Respect for Persons, and Beneficence on behalf of the victim. The Right to Privacy for every person means the right to be free from intrusions into ones physical body, space, mind and personal information. This includes the right to be free from bodily restraint in any way or of having to disprove another’s perception of our attire. The Bill of Rights supports the ethical principle, Right to Privacy, specifically with the 14th Amendment, Amendment IV, which covers privacy of the person and possessions with the following: The right of the person to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the person or things to be seized. At the very least, even with the “Stand your ground” law, the Sanford Police department...
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...The jury is made up of 6 people, all of which are female. Eventually George Zimmerman is found to be non-guilty of second-degree murder and of manslaughter. He’s acquitted of all charges and is free to go on his merry way. After some time, one of the jurors does an interview detailing the process of finding George non-guilty. She said that in the heart of all the jurors, it was obvious that he should be found guilty. However, by the law of Florida, there was no way that they could convict him. It’s the sad truth, sometimes guilty people walk free because of a loophole in the...
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