Lamebrained analysis based on incompetent reporting:
Retreat is not required under Indiana law, but I think it’s always wise to ask yourself if you should involve yourself in a circumstance that you’re not involved in and secondly, do you have any other options to avoid the use of deadly force in self defense,” said Guy Relford.
The Zimmerman case has state lawmakers like Jean Breaux calling for a review.
“Now that we have seen the real life implication of how these self defense laws function, we have an obligation as legislators to our citizens that we make sure those laws do everything they can to prevent an act of violence and to do everything it can to defuse that situation as much as possible,” said Breaux.
A review of Indiana’s self defense laws, including the Stand Your Ground Law, could be presented at the next legislative session.
For God's sake, the Zimmerman trial did not, not, not involve Florida's Stand Your Ground law -- the defendant did not invoke it in his not-guilty plea. He claimed Trayvon Martin jumped him and held him on the ground and pounded the hell out of him, and that he therefore feared for his life. That is a standard self-defense claim that could have been made in any of the 50 states. If there is no opportunity to retreat -- which is what Zimmerman claimed -- whether you have the duty to retreat or the right not to is beside the point.
So, please, no phony hand-wringing over Indiana's Stand Your Ground law. How many times have you heard of it being invoked in Indiana, by the way? Such cases aren't exactly flooding our courtrooms.
