The Tampa Bay Times examined 200 "stand your ground" cases and found that the law has worked to free killers, drug dealers and violent attackers whose self-defense claims seem questionable at best. In nearly a third of the cases examined by the Times, defendants initiated the fight - and still went free.
The Times says the most productive way to change Florida's "stand your ground" law to recognize that individuals who initiate confrontations are not then immune from responsibility of the consequences. "The law as it stands is an invitation for more bloodshed and heartache, and a society more divided."
The law has exonerated dozens of people deemed to be legitimately acting in self-defense - and allowed drug dealers to avoid murder charges and gang members to walk free after shootouts.
Check out this comprehensive Times investigation of Florida's "stand your ground" law at tampabay.com/stand-your-ground-law.
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