Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Don't buy the spin. SYG had everything to do with Zimmerman's acquittal [View all]DirkGently
(12,151 posts)40. Regarding "duty to flee?" No. How do you think otherwise?
The change in the law encompassed in the instruction you are talking about is this:
Normally, outside of the home, a person has a duty to flee if they can safely do so, even if they are in fear, rather than using deadly force.
Ex) Someone walks up to you, threatens to kill you if you don't get back in your car. You choose not to get back in your car, and pull a gun instead, and you're in trouble, IF the facts suggest you could have safely gotten away.
SYG makes everywhere your "castle." Some gun advocates think they shouldn't have to back down from a threat, even if they could safely get away. They got their stupid law passed in 30 states or whatever it currently is. So,
Ex2) Person walks up, threatens to kill you; you could step back in your car, but hell no, you're strapped, so it's go time. Bang bang someone's dead. As long as the fear of imminent harm was reasonable, you don't have to address whether you could've just gotten out of there.
It's not going to happen that much, but there are some bad examples in Florida already. One I believe was a guy who shot his neighbor through a fence, claiming he thought the neighbor was armed. He wasn't. Could've walked away. Now it doesn't matter.
In this case, Zimmerman's narrative is that he only decided to use deadly force when he was "pinned to the ground" when he decided he was in danger. Pinned. To. The. Ground. Nothing changes based on whether he could flee, because according to him, his entire fear was based on the fact he couldn't move.
Tell me how you think the analysis changes if, while pinned, he had instead the standard duty to flee "if one can safely do so."
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
56 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
Don't buy the spin. SYG had everything to do with Zimmerman's acquittal [View all]
LuckyTheDog
Jul 2013
OP
Well a juror said it did make a difference! It's the same propaganda controlling the Snowdon story
SugarShack
Jul 2013
#1
That was the entire point of my thread. SYG instructions OBLITERATE manslaughter laws.
blm
Jul 2013
#2
Except the jury hung their hats on the SYG instructions. Instructions that TRUMP the
blm
Jul 2013
#13
If not for the re-definition of self defense thanks to SYG, Zimmerman probably would be in prison
LuckyTheDog
Jul 2013
#33