Controversy over the killing of black teenager Trayvon Martin, shot
dead without provocation has called US self-defense laws into question.
Critics say the laws, in combination with lax gun laws, has increased
“justifiable homicides” in recent years.
Trayvon Martin’s home state of Florida has one of the loosest interpretations of the stand-your-ground, or “SYG”, legislation.
The bill allows citizens to employ “defensive force” to protect themselves if they believe their lives are at risk. Currently variations of the legislation exist in 26 American states, while “Castle law” is in effect in 30 states, which can justify a homicide if an intruder trespasses on the home or car of an individual.
According to a Wall Street Journal investigation based on statistics from the FBI, since the bill was introduced in 2005 the number of “justifiable homicides” in Florida has almost tripled. It has risen from an average of 12 a year prior to the legislation to 33 as an annual average. Read Here
Trayvon Martin’s home state of Florida has one of the loosest interpretations of the stand-your-ground, or “SYG”, legislation.
The bill allows citizens to employ “defensive force” to protect themselves if they believe their lives are at risk. Currently variations of the legislation exist in 26 American states, while “Castle law” is in effect in 30 states, which can justify a homicide if an intruder trespasses on the home or car of an individual.
According to a Wall Street Journal investigation based on statistics from the FBI, since the bill was introduced in 2005 the number of “justifiable homicides” in Florida has almost tripled. It has risen from an average of 12 a year prior to the legislation to 33 as an annual average. Read Here
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