Mediaboss Marketing

Stand Your Ground has become a ubiquitous phrase in Jacksonville since the trials of Michael Dunn and Marissa Alexander. On Thursday it was the focus during a town hall meeting at the studios of WJCT that included supporters and opponents of the controversial law.

The 2005 Stand Your Ground law removed the duty to retreat in Florida for those who believe their lives are in danger, allowed the use of deadly force and provided immunity from criminal prosecution or civil lawsuits.

Ron Davis and Lucia McBath, the parents of a slain Jacksonville teenager, spoke against Stand Your Ground at the start of the program Thursday.

We know this law is not a good law, McBath said. It does not protect citizens as it was designed to.

Dunn, the man charged with killing 17-year-old Jordan Davis, never claimed Stand Your Ground. But Ron Davis said it may have led Dunn to think he could shoot his son. Also, Stand Your Ground permeated the case because it was in the jury instructions.

Co-host of the town hall meeting Melissa Ross of WJCT pointed out that polls show the majority of Floridians support Stand Your Ground. But Davis said most people dont understand the law.

The law says you have a right to stand your ground if you have a reasonable fear for your life. But whats reasonable to one person isnt reasonable to another, he said.

And the law encourages confrontations by removing the duty to retreat, Davis said.

McBath also said shes trying to put a human face on Stand Your Ground by traveling around the country and speaking about her son.

A lot of people are very removed from the law, she said. They need to see the faces of people who are affected by it.

Read the original:
Parents of Jordan Davis bash Stand Your Ground law during Jacksonville town hall

3 We watched it here on Channel 4...a town hall meeting over the controversial stand your ground law. Broadcast simultaneously on channel 4 and our news partner WJCT... people from various sides of the debate had a chance to speak their mind. Channel 4's Scott Johnson brings us details of what was said tonight. He joins us live. 3 25-301'00-1'05 some came on tonight to defend stand your ground... while others want to see the law go ... a broad variety of perspectives come on channel 4 tonight to discuss the controversial law that has been at the center of so many high profile cases as of late... from the mariss alexander case to the George Zimmerman trial to the shooting death of Jordan Davis by Michael Dunn. In fact Jordan's father Ron Davis... one of the people on tonight's panel... feels the law needs to change. RON DAVIS 12:23:57 - because it wants the jury and judge to look at mind of shooter and you can't look at somebody's heart and mind, yo uhave to look at facts and what witnesses are testifying to. You can't go into someone's mind and make life or death decision based on that.while davis wants the law re-written some critics tonight just want the law thrown out altogether. But Cord Byrd is a local gun rights attorney who points to two controversial cases... that of george zimmerman and michael dunn... he says neither used stand your ground as a defense... just typical self defense laws and the pbulic needs to remember that. CORD BYRD/GUN RIGHTS ATTORNEY 12:28:27 - neither of those cases had anything to do with stand your ground. So if we're gonna' have debate over law then we need to have the debate over how the law's applied to real self defense case and not 2 instances cited by opponents. 3

See the rest here:
Study time is over

stand your ground law
stand your ground law - created at http://animoto.com.

By: Kee Turner

Continued here:
stand your ground law - Video

George Zimmermans Understanding of Stand Your Ground Law

By: Sha Stargell

View original post here:
George Zimmermans Understanding of Stand Your Ground Law - Video

Attorneys for Marissa Alexander will argue Friday morning that their client deserves another Stand Your Ground hearing to prove that she fired a shot at her estranged husband in self defense.

Alexander, 33, is out on bond while awaiting a new trial on charges of firing a gun at her estranged husband and his two children. She was previously convicted of three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to 20 years in prison, but that conviction was thrown out on appeal.

Follow: Real-time updates from the hearing (8 a.m. Friday)

It will be the second time Alexander seeks immunity from prosecution under the states Stand Your Ground law, which allows the use of deadly force instead of retreating if the person is afraid for his or her life. A previous claim in July, 2011 was rejected.

There will not be an actual Stand Your Ground hearing on Friday. Circuit Judge James Daniel will simply decide whether another hearing can occur at a later date.

Prosecutors are expected to argue that there is no point to a second Stand your Ground hearing since her claims of self defense were already rejected. But defense attorneys say they intend to introduce evidence that was never presented during the first hearing.

Attorney Bruce Zimet has said the new evidence undermines the testimony of Alexanders estranged husband, Rico Gray, and his two children. All three testified in the original Stand Your Ground hearing.

Alexander has claimed she wasnt trying to hit Gray or his two children from a previous relationship. She has said Gray had just beaten her, and was about to beat her again.

But Alexander has acknowledged that after Gray hit her she fled into the garage where she got a gun out of her car and then came back into the house. Prosecutors have previously argued that makes Alexander ineligible for Stand Your Ground because she chose to advance back into the house and confront Gray with the gun.

Stand Your Ground doesnt allow a person in fear for their life to advance on someone before firing.

Continued here:
Marissa Alexander wants new Stand Your Ground hearing