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Florida Stand Your Ground Panel Starts Work
June 13, 2012
The first public hearing of Gov. Rick Scott’s Task Force on Citizen Safety and Protection offered a wide range of opinion on the “stand your ground” law in Seminole County Tuesday, with roughly 100 people turning out to speak.
Among them were hardline supporters of the statute and the bereaved parents and spouses who’d lost loved ones to shooters who were never charged.
Longwood, near Sanford, was chosen for the panel’s first hearing because it’s near where 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was killed on Feb. 26.
Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, the panel’s chairwoman, said the charge of the task force is not to debate Trayvon Martin’s death or the case of George Zimmerman, who says he shot Martin in self-defense. National outrage over the lack of an arrest in the case prompted Scott to create the task force and to name Jacksonville State Attorney Angela Corey the special prosecutor in Martin’s case; she charged Zimmerman with second degree murder.
Carroll said the first public hearing was held here to give its community members some “closure” on the shooting death that has roiled the state and nation for months.
The task force’s morning session offered an overview of the law by Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Krista Marx. Prosecutors, public defenders and law enforcement officials presented as well.
“Reasonable minds will vary,” said Marx – and differing opinions were then expressed.
The afternoon session was the public hearing. Among the speakers was state Sen. Chris Smith, incoming Senate Democratic Leader and leader of an independent panel investigating “stand your ground.” He called on the state to start to start keeping statistics on cases affected by the law.
“There are many instances where law enforcement used their discretion not to arrest and state attorneys used their discretion not to charge,” said Smith, “so we don’t know of the maybe thousands of times that ’stand your ground’ was used and nothing ever happened.”
Ronald Vogt, a Seminole County resident who supports the law, said police officers couldn’t be everywhere.
“But there come[s] a point in time where I see a robbery or rape or something going down where I need to intervene, I think there’s a better probability of saving their life than losing my own. The ’stand your ground’ law is the only way of entering in without my going to jail,” Vogt said. “I’m not afraid of dying – the only thing I fear is God.”
“This is a good law,” said B.J. Smith, a retired civil trial lawyer. “Please do not try and fix it.”
Other speakers called for changes or clarifications in “stand your ground,” including Martin’s parents.
Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, parents of the unarmed black teen who was shot killed less than four months ago, didn’t necessarily call for the law’s repeal. Fulton pleaded with the panel to at least “look at” the law in light of her son’s death.
Tracy Martin choked up as he said he’d be spending Father’s Day this year at the cemetery. He and Fulton also delivered 375,000 online petitions collected by Second Chance on Shoot First, a national campaign.
Listening to the stories “softened” the stances of panel members, Smith said.
Criminal attorney Mark Seiden, a task force member, said he was disappointed that more local citizens didn’t turn out. But Carroll was upbeat.
“From the comments that we heard from the sponsors of the law – and even they came to the forefront and said, ‘from what we heard, we need to make some changes, and I’ll be receptive’…I want to listen with an honest and open mind,” Carroll said.
Many of the speakers didn’t want to give up their right to defend themselves, she said, but also want a fair application of the law.
The panel is holding meetings statewide and will make recommendations to Scott and the Legislature about whether the law should be changed.
By The News Service of Florida
Comments
7 Responses to “Florida Stand Your Ground Panel Starts Work”
TO Micheal,
So what your saying is that if my children and I are at the mall and someone threatens to car jack us I should not be able to defend myself or my two children!!!!!! Really??
REGARDING:
“The law was fine before the NRA got a hold of it in 2005 ”
The law was fine before it existed?
What good is a law that doesn’t exist?
I mean, I know there are bad laws but non-laws aren’tlaws at all
David questioning benefits of imaginary laws
The law was fine before the NRA got a hold of it in 2005 . . . . . they changed it so its not just you protecting yourself in your home or car when everyone understood where “your ground” was . . . . now anywhere you walk is “your ground” and that’s what the confusing part . . . . now “your ground” can be over someone else’s house, two people can be standing their ground at the same time on a public sidewalk and as we see in this case, you can pursue someone and then suddenly claim you’re standing your ground when you catch them . . . . the law is screwed up and the NRA is to blame. Go back to considering “your gound” to be your property and your car and keep it simple!
Its a great law. it is a law that is design to put fear in to those who wish to rob and do harm to others. There is no reason why you should have to depend on any one else to protect your self.It states, that if you chose to take up a life of crime , that this chose of a career, could get you killed. and that is the way it should be.
REGARDING:
“Among them were – - – the bereaved parents and spouses who’d lost loved ones to shooters who were never charged.”
Imaginary testimony:
Bereaved parent: My boy, he was just minding his own business when this little. bitty woman just SHOT him dead.
Panel member: That’s terrible. What was your boy’s business?
Bereaved parent: Armed robbery.
Panel member: NEXT!
David for honest businesses
I am proud of our Lawmakers !!! There are more and more “BAD” people
today .
This is an ALL AMERICAN LAW, thats over due !
Also, if you are not Registered to VOTE , then keep your views to yourself.
GOD BLESS AMERICA.
IN GOD WE TRUST.
This law means if I am in my yard and someone attacks me I can fight back. Please leave it alone. Because one person mis-uses a law doesn’t mean the law is bad…it means the person intended to mis-use it or is not completely aware of the law itself and it’s intended use.