Florida to repeal thier stupid "make my day" law

Apparently 21 other states have similar laws to Florida, although they may not be called "stand your ground". I've heard Colorado does not require you to try to retreat from a dangerous situation either, but I'm not certain on that.

http://www.9news.com/rss/story.aspx?storyid=258336

This brings up a question with all concealed carry laws, IMO. If an unarmed person is shot and killed by a person with a legal concealed weapon and there are no witnesses and if the shooter claims he feared for his life, it seems tough to convict him unless you can prove he acted improperly.

Perhaps it would shed light on the fact that a CCW permit is not a license to kill anybody you feel "threatened" by. Of course, some of the folks on here are "threatened" by just about anything, including their own shadows.

pineinthegrass wrote: Apparently 21 other states have similar laws to Florida, although they may not be called "stand your ground". I've heard Colorado does not require you to try to retreat from a dangerous situation either, but I'm not certain on that.

http://www.9news.com/rss/story.aspx?storyid=258336

This brings up a question with all concealed carry laws, IMO. If an unarmed person is shot and killed by a person with a legal concealed weapon and there are no witnesses and if the shooter claims he feared for his life, it seems tough to convict him unless you can prove he acted improperly.

Hello!

You can murder just about anybody if you set up the situiation..I''ve been threatened numerious times in PM here, so if any of those guys come up to me to just say hi- Somebody might die


Cause i'm scared!

I didn't say a concealed weapon permit is a license to kill anyone, though my understaning is deadly force can be used if you have good reason to fear for your life (for sure in your home and in many cases outside the home as well). My point was how difficult it would be to convict someone if there were no witnesses and that seems a problem to me for all states with concealed carry laws (stand your ground or not). Plus I'm not saying this has anything to do with Zimmerman because we don't know all the evidence.

Any of you Yo Yo's taken the CCW course?

I think not or you wouldn't be rattling about crap you don't know.

Zimmerman took the Police course on Neighborhood Watch protocols and requirements. We see how well that worked out.

That is not a CCW course. He took the Police Academy citizens on patrol comedy course.

Colorado Revised Statute:
18-1-704. Use of physical force in defense of a person.
1. Except as provided in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, a person is justified in using physical force upon another person in order to defend himself or a third person from what he reasonably believes to be the use of imminent use of unlawful physical force by that other person, and he may use a degree of force which he reasonably believes to be necessary for that purpose.
2. Deadly physical force may be used only if a person reasonably believes a lesser degree of force is inadequate and:
a. The actor has reasonable ground to believe and does believe, that he or another person is in imminent danger of being killed or of receiving great bodily injury; or
b. The other person is using or reasonably appears about to use physical force against an occupant of a dwelling or business establishment while committing or attempting to commit burglary as defined in sections 18-4-202 to 18-4-204; or
c. The other person is committing or reasonably appears about to commit kidnapping as defined in section 18-3-301 or 18-3-302, robbery as defined in section 18-4-301 or 18-4-302, sexual assault as set forth in section 18-3-402 or in section 18-3-403 as it existed prior to July 1, 2000, or assault as defined in sections 18-3-202 and 18-3-203.
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, a person is not justified in using physical force if:
a. With intent to cause bodily injury or death to another person, he provokes the use of unlawful physical force by that other person; or
b. He is the initial aggressor, except that his use of physical force upon another person under the circumstances is justifiable if he withdraws from-the encounter and effectively communicates to the other person his intent to do so, but the latter nevertheless continues or threatens the use of unlawful physical force; or
c. The physical force involved is the product of a combat by agreement not specifically authorized by law.


I would imagine Florida's law is similar, but don't know what it is specifically. In any event, one cannot legally just shoot someone unless these very clear criteria are met. Regardless of the legal right to "Stand Your Ground", I would submit that if you can get out of Dodge and avoid the confrontation altogether that's the best thing to do.

My gut feeling in this case is that both parties escalated unnecessarily - a mutual combative situation. Thanks to the media frenzy we may never know the facts. And also thanks to the media it may not be possible for the accused to get a fair trial.