The Zimmerman Trial is Far From Over

  After George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the case of the shooting of Traypeople

Racial tension has swarmed the George Zimmerman case.

Photo by Zennie Abraham via Flickr CC       

started crying for civil action for wrongful death against the Florida resident.  Protests sprouted across the country after the verdict was read, and a wave of opinions for or against Zimmerman’s actions swarmed the internet.  The NAACP is urging the Justice Department to bring civil rights charges against Zimmerman, who shot Martin in an altercation during a neighborhood watch shift.  While race issues certainly fueled the debate, the real legacy of the Zimmerman case may lie in the future of “Stand Your Ground Laws”, a rule that protected George Zimmerman from being held after his first arrest in early 2012. 

von Martin, it was not long before

  The self-defense law in Florida, known as “Stand Your Ground”, states that lethal force is allowed in situations where a reasonable threat is perceived.  The law in Florida was enacted in 2005 to eliminate the duty to retreat has created a 300% increase in self-defense claims in the state.  It is unclear whether or not it has had an effect on the crime rate, although studied in Georgia and Texas have suggested the stand-your-ground laws have increased gun death or injury since the laws were put in place.   U.S. Attorney Eric Holder has called for an investigation into the laws.

  Holder said that these types of laws, sometimes called “Shoot First” laws by critics, create dangerous conflict within neighborhoods and senselessly expand the concept of self-defense.  Florida Governor Rick Scott, however, says that the Zimmerman case was an isolated tragedy and should be used for political capital.  The National Rifle Association also believes that self-defense is a right.  It will be interesting to see where the future of these laws lie, or if anything comes of the debate at all.

Sierra Schwartz via Flickr CC