USA Today reports
Most stand-your-ground laws grant a person who uses deadly force the presumption that he acted reasonably unless there is evidence to the contrary.What's your opinion? Hasn't the macho, tough-guy, never-backing-down attitude about gun ownership gone too far? People are being shot and killed who wouldn't be otherwise. Homeowners who open the door to screaming maniacs and then shoot them dead are in the wrong. Armed citizens who get in arguments with unarmed people and then shoot them dead are in the wrong.
If there are no witnesses and the victim is dead, or if the evidence is conflicting, the chances are greater that someone can "get away with murder," Savannah Law School professor Elizabeth Megale.
"The statute can be used and distorted by hard-core criminals or someone who has committed a crime," she says. "Most times, someone will get arrested if the other person does not die. … It's ironic. If someone dies, the other person is less likely to get arrested."
Avoiding the incident should be a requirement. If you fail to take simple steps to avoid the confrontation, you shouldn't be able to claim self-defense later.
What do you think? Please leave a comment.
