stand your ground law Essay - 1612 Words

The Stand Your Ground statute states that â€Å"a person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony† (Sherman). Many people will say that the â€Å"Stand your Ground† law is a great law that has diminished the crime rate, made people feel safer in their neighborhood and has given the people back the power to protect themselves and their loved ones from fatal danger. I would have to†¦show more content†¦For instance the significant rise in concealed Carry permits in the state in the last few years. More Floridians have been walking around armed so it would only make sense that â€Å"From 2005 unti l 2012, the number of concealed weapons permits in Florida skyrocketed, from 347,350 to 979,000† (Lantigua). Georgia State researchers Chandler McClellan and Erdal Tekin suggest that â€Å"One potential explanation offered for a relationship between Stand Your Ground laws and homicides is that an increased number of individuals may carry guns in public and be willing to use them as a result of these laws (Lantigua). Most of the increase in justifiable homicides was due to police shootings which rose from 22 in 2004 to 65 in 2011, â€Å"Stand Your Ground† situations where civilians shot civilians, went from â€Å"eight in 2004 to 47 in 2011† (Lantigua). One would expect for the police shootings to rise because of the fact more citizens are carrying weapons. Police officers are going to be a lot more cautious on every traffic stop and on every call because there is more risk of being shot or injured in some way. The rise in civilian shootings from 2004 to 2011 is the statistic that has everyone on edge. Since the law was introduced there have been many controversial cases that were classified justifiable homicides where the shooter was cleared of all charges. In September 2010 Patrick Lavoie was killed byShow MoreRelatedStand Your Ground Law1224 Words   |  5 PagesStand Your Ground Law In recent years, the self-defense doctrine in several jurisdictions has been changing. Some jurisdictions have started using â€Å"stand your ground† laws, which change the traditional requirement that the person being attacked must â€Å"retreat to the wall† before using any kind of force. Proponents’ arguments include that the law merely codifies an individual’s deep-rooted right to defend oneself. Opponents’ arguments include that the law creates a â€Å"license to kill† and has negativeRead MoreThe Stand Your Ground Law1686 Words   |  7 PagesThe Stand your Ground Law has recently been debated to be a just or unjust law of retaliation. The stand your ground law permits individuals to use deadly weapons when they feel threatened or can be harmed. That means if one feels that they are in fear of losing their life they have every right to defend themselves by any means necessary. This law does not state that if someone is not in the way of facing physical harm or losing their life that they have a right to kill someone else. Though eachRead MoreThe Stand Your Ground Laws881 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction: The Stand Your Ground laws are placed into effect as a measure to protect the honest American citizens in cases of self-defense. They allow citizens to defend themselves using deadly means without an attempt to retreat from the situation. The laws remove the â€Å"duty to retreat† when a person is attacked in public. In turn, they allow the citizen to meet their attacker, using force against force. In Florida, victims can declare immunity from trial under Stand Your Ground—however they haveRead MoreStand Your Ground Laws Essay1590 Words   |  7 Pagesthe â€Å"Stand Your Ground Law†? Well many states such as: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia have stand your ground laws which state that individuals do not have to retreat before using force in a self - defense situation or many states have laws that are remarkably similar to stand your groundRead MoreWhat are Stand Your Ground Laws?1501 Words   |  6 Pages States are passing Stand Your Ground laws, which are similar to the Castle Doctrine (one has the right to defend oneself in the confines of his or her home), but the Stand Your Ground laws extend the range; instead, people may defend themselves using deadly force in any area they are permitted access (Jealous, 2013; Cox, 2013; Moore, 2012). Stand Your Ground laws contain flaws wherein predators or vigilantes may twist the law to their benefit, yet the Stand Your Ground laws are meant to justifyRead MoreStand Your Ground Laws Essay example1074 Words   |  5 PagesThe Stand Your Ground Laws are becoming a hot topic in today’s news. Headlines are flooded with stories about cases around the country. These laws surround everyone from your everyday citizens to prominent sports figures and entertainers. The Stand Your Ground laws provide individuals with certain rights to protect themselves in events where they may feel threatened. It is also known as the Castle Rule, most of the United States have adopted some form of this law to protect its’ residents whoRead MoreStand Your Ground Laws Need Fixing1287 Words   |  5 PagesStand Your Ground Laws need fixing because they produce more problems than they solve. There are many gun activists who insist on keeping the Stand Your Ground Law as it is, but is it solving problems or causing more of a problem? The Stand Your Ground Law more than likely will never be abolished because of NRA being such a strong force, however its flaws crucially need fixed. Stand Your Ground Laws need fixed because they increase crime rates rather than decrease them. Also, Stand Your Ground LawsRead MoreAnalyzing the Stand Your Ground Law Essay938 Words   |  4 Pagescases that have questioned whether certain laws are more harmful to the community rather than b eneficial. In the year 2010, Americans were outraged by the case of young Trayvon Martin, whose murder was deemed justifiable by the â€Å"Stand Your Ground† law found in Florida, and many other states. This case, amongst others has caused a stir about the usefulness of the â€Å"Stand Your Ground† law and whether the law should be abolished. When deciding whether a law should be kept in place or abolished, we asRead MoreThe United States Stand Your Ground Law1193 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States’ Stand Your Ground law, states that any and all individuals have 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. Forty-six states have adopted a type of â€Å"Castle Doctrine,† meaning that a person has no duty to retreat when their home is under attack. Twenty-two states have removed t hat duty to retreat from otherRead MoreStand Your Ground Law And Black Youth1981 Words   |  8 PagesABSTRACT Stand your Ground Law and Black Youth The controversies surrounding Stand your Ground Laws have recently captured the nation’s attention. From the infamous Trayvon Martin case, in Florida alone, 26 children have been killed in Stand Your Ground cases. Since 2005, eighteen states have passed laws extending the right to self-defense with no duty to retreat to any place a person has a legal right to be. Despite the implications that these laws may have for public safety, there has been little