News stories involving Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law have been making headlines across the nation, which can likely be attributed to the Dunn and Zimmerman cases. The two recent criminal trials both involved the shooting of African-American teenagers and each defendant’s invocation of self-defense as the result of a threat that made them fear for their life. Both defendants were acquitted of murder.
The results of each trial and the facts surrounding each case are highly controversial and have spurred much debate over the Florida law. In light of the more recent Dunn ruling, many speculated that the law may be overturned. However, as a recent article reported, lawmakers in Florida took the opposite approach.