Stand Your Ground

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No Charges for Man Who Shot Black Co-Worker 9 Times

DA says he can't show 'this was not self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt'

(Newser) - Peter Spencer's family members called his death "a modern-day lynching," but ABC News reports the co-worker accused of shooting him during a Pennsylvania camping trip last December won't face charges. District Attorney Shawn White on Tuesday said based on the evidence, prosecutors would be unable to...

Florida Man Cites 'Stand Your Ground' in Iguana Killing

The judge was not convinced

(Newser) - A Florida man tried unsuccessfully to duck animal cruelty charges by claiming he had every right to beat an iguana to death under the state's "stand your ground" law. The law allows for the use of deadly force if a person "reasonably believes that using or threatening...

For George Zimmerman's Lawyer, the Tables Have Turned

Mark O'Mara is now repping slain black teen Adrein Green

(Newser) - The attorney who represented George Zimmerman in the fatal 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., now has the opposite case. Mark O'Mara is representing the family of a black teen who was fatally shot before 2am on May 5 as he allegedly attempted to burglarize a vehicle,...

'See You in Hell': Man in Florida 'Stand Your Ground' Case Sentenced

Michael Drejka gets 20 years in prison for manslaughter of Markeis McGlockton

(Newser) - "I know in the Bible, it talks about in order to get into heaven, you have to forgive. At this part in my life I’m not there yet, and if the lord chooses to take me before I come to terms with this, then I will see you...

Cops: Homeowner Shot, Killed 3 Masked Teens

Police say it could be a 'stand your ground' case

(Newser) - A man who killed three teenagers outside his suburban Atlanta home early Monday has not been charged, police say. Deputy Lee Thomas at the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office says investigators have determined that the teens—two 16-year-old boys and a 15-year-old boy—were fatally shot during an exchange of...

Jury Rules in Florida 'Stand Your Ground' Case

Michael Drejka could get 30 years for shooting Markeis McGlockton

(Newser) - A high-profile "stand your ground" case ended Friday with the shooter found guilty of manslaughter, the Tampa Bay Times reports. A Florida jury took 6 1/2 hours to convict Michael Drejka, who had fatally shot Markeis McGlockton in a 2018 dispute over a handicapped parking space. A woman broke...

He Said He Feared for His Life. Tape Makes It a 'Tough Call'

Legal experts wrangle with whether store co-owner had 'stand your ground' rights in fatal Fla. shooting

(Newser) - The tapes are out from Florida police, and now the world can see more of the story behind the fatal shooting of Christobal Lopez. The 50-year-old was killed Oct. 3 in a Vets Army Navy Surplus Store in Lakeland while there with his father—both transients, police say, per the...

Uber Driver's Shooting of Man 'Justifiable Homicide'

The deadly confrontation was caught on dash cam

(Newser) - "This is a justifiable homicide all day long." That's the determination of Polk County, Fla., Sheriff Grady Judd in the case of an Uber driver who fatally shot a man early Tuesday morning, CNN reports. Robert Westlake was driving with a passenger on a two-lane road when...

Weeks Later, a Charge in Fatal Florida Parking Lot Shooting

Michael Drejka charged with manslaughter

(Newser) - Prosecutors charged a white man with manslaughter Monday in the death of an unarmed black man whose videotaped shooting in a store parking lot has revived debate over Florida's "stand your ground" law, the AP reports. Michael Drejka, 47, has been charged with the July 19 death of...

Parking Lot Shooting Raises 'Stand Your Ground' Questions
Parking Lot Death: No Arrest,
Lots of Controversy
the rundown
Jul 24, 2018 9:30 AM CDT

Parking Lot Death: No Arrest, Lots of Controversy

Florida shooting raises questions about state's 'stand your ground' law

(Newser) - A controversy is brewing in Florida over a fatal shooting in a parking lot, one that involves renewed scrutiny of the state's "stand your ground" law. The basics:
  • The dispute: On Thursday, 47-year-old Michael Drejka shot 28-year-old Markeis McGlockton in a dispute over a handicapped parking space at
...

Judge: Florida's Updated 'Stand Your Ground' Law Unconstitutional

Other courts can still follow new version of law

(Newser) - Florida lawmakers modified the state's "Stand Your Ground" self-defense law this year, and a Miami judge ruled Monday that the updated version of the law is unconstitutional, the Bradenton Herald reports. The new version of the law requires prosecutors to disprove a defendant's claim of self-defense at...

3 Alarming Stats From Florida Under 'Stand Your Ground'

Homicides have spiked, including those of African-Americans

(Newser) - For years, people have claimed "Stand Your Ground" laws have led to an increase in violence . A new JAMA study suggests their observations were right, at least in Florida. It finds homicides in the state spiked 24% from 82 per month from 1999 to October 2005, when Florida's...

Man Shoots Unarmed Ex at Denny's, Claims Self-Defense

Florida's Sean Barnes is the latest to invoke Stand Your Ground law

(Newser) - Sean Barnes admits he followed his ex-girlfriend into a Denny's bathroom, then shot her in the face. But as for the resulting attempted murder charge, Barnes says he acted in self-defense in August 2013 in accordance with Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, reports the Miami Herald . Police...

Zimmerman Up Against Familiar Words: 'Stand Your Ground'

His alleged assailant may use the defense

(Newser) - The man accused of shooting at George Zimmerman is planning to use a defense strategy that should be familiar to Zimmerman: Stand your ground. The attorney for Matthew Apperson said today that his client qualifies because he opened fire when he thought his life was in danger. As the AP...

George Zimmerman's New Gig: Gun Store Guard

He's reportedly patrolling shop as volunteer

(Newser) - George Zimmerman hasn’t been on the radar much after a failed celebrity-boxing attempt and his family’s public tiff with Roseanne earlier this year, but Mashable has tracked him down at his new gig: guarding a Florida gun store. A police report obtained by Mashable says a patrolling officer...

Partier Knocks on Wrong Door, Gets Shot

Home belongs to a fire department captain in Vegas

(Newser) - A partygoer knocked on the wrong door in Las Vegas yesterday morning—and caught a bullet for his troubles. According to police, two men in their 20s had briefly left a birthday party and were trying to return just before 2 am when they made the mistake. They didn't...

Blind Florida Man Who Killed Buddy Gets His Guns Back

Was exonerated under Stand Your Ground

(Newser) - A blind man in Florida who shot and killed a drinking buddy in March 2012 has been reunited with his guns after winning immunity from prosecution last month under the state's Stand Your Ground law. The judge in Sanford—the city where George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin—on Thursday...

Farrakhan: Give African Americans Our Own Courts

Controversial minister says US courts are biased against black people

(Newser) - Controversial minister Louis Farrakhan offered up a controversial idea yesterday at the Nation of Islam's annual convention in Detroit: The black community should have its own court system, because the existing system is biased against African Americans. "We want equal justice under the law," Farrakhan said,...

'Loud Music' Killer Is Going to Jail; Is That Enough?

What Michael Dunn's murder mistrial says about race in America

(Newser) - Michael Dunn, the man who shot 17-year-old Jordan Davis over music he believed was too loud, is going to prison , likely for the rest of his life. But the jury didn't convict him of murder, which has left a bad taste in many people's mouths. Has justice been...

'Stand Your Ground' Eyed in Florida Movie Shooting

Ex-cop's age could help his case

(Newser) - Chucking popcorn at an elderly guy may not sound like a valid reason for gunning a man down, but the retired police captain charged with murder in an argument about movie theater texting happens to be both 71 and in Florida so he might just have a case under the...

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