STAND YOUR GROUND LAW

Stand Your Ground Law

Stand Your Ground Law

Introduction

The law “Stand Your Ground Law” give a person the right to defend him/herself by using force when facing threat from the opponent, exclusive of responsibility to retreat first. According to this law a person, in some cases, may exercise deadly force with no retreating duty in public areas. Under this law one can justify his deadly action against someone in particular situation.

The topic is the case of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman, it is a murder case in which the offender kill the victim by 9mm gun and kept himself safe from charge by proving his action of killing as a self defense. The complexity of this case is that the police could not find any evidence against the killer, George Zimmerman, but social media by a very strong campaign on change.org compelled the police department to trial George Zimmerman. This case initiated a debate on hate crimes, racial profiling, racism, and gun control among law enforcement institutions. Since discrimination on the basis of race, gender, age, geography, color, and ethnicity is increasing and has to be given importance in order to be controlled. The role of state, police department, and law enforcement agencies is very crucial in this regard, thus this case, as a topic is very important because it involves concerns regarding racism, racial profiling, institutional racism, discrimination, and outside influence on law enforcement agencies. Any action from state or judiciary which supports any kind of discrimination will lead to violence or in supporters of Trayvon Martin and in minority.

Discussion

Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman case is a murder case which took place in Stanford, Florida, on 26th Feb 2012, in the time of evening. The case revolves around two persons, the victim who was a seventeenth years old boy, named Trayvon Martin, and the murderer, twenty eight years old guy, named George Zimmerman, who killed unarmed Trayvon Martin by a 9mm gun. George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin to death in community of Sanford. But even after a few hours after the incident takes place, the Police Department of Sanford could not find any probable cause for arrest of the murderer, George Zimmerman. George Zimmerman defend himself and made a statement that he did it in self defense in opposition to the 17 years old guy who was going back to the house of fiancée of his father from a local store after purchasing a bag of skittles and can of ice tea, and was unarmed.

The chief of Sanford Police, Bill Lee and Country State Attorney of Seminole, Norm Wolfinger decide not to arrest and accuse George Zimmerman with the offense triggered nationalized outage driven by social media which included a petition on a website, called “change.org”, demanding the trial of George Zimmerman. The social media campaign on change.org garnered more than 2.2 millions signs, which is, in the history of change.org, was the largest (change.org, 2012). Both chief of Sanford Police, Bill Lee and Country State ...