Stand Your Ground
A Texas man who killed his unarmed neighbor in a confrontation about loud music has been sentenced to 40 years in prison despite his having recorded the confrontation and made the argument that he was entitled to use deadly force under Texas's "Stand Your Ground" law.
Not having been a member of that jury nor having any familiarity with the case beyond what the news item told me, I can't say for sure, but it sounds to me like the jury made the right call. I am a gun owner and have a profound detestation of trashy, inconsiderate neighbors and loud music. But I think this is one of the best things that could happen for advocates of "Stand Your Ground" laws-- public evidence that even in so gun-friendly a place as Texas, this kind of law is about not having to retreat if you're going about your legitimate business. In this case, the defendant provoked a confrontation, which is OK and should be encouraged with trashy neighbors, and then he tried to invoke that defense. No. That was not "legitimate business."
Going about your legitimate business would include calling in a suspicious-looking character as a member of a neighborhood watch, and legitimate use of the defense would include killing someone, armed or not, who then comes up to you and starts beating you up.
Not having been a member of that jury nor having any familiarity with the case beyond what the news item told me, I can't say for sure, but it sounds to me like the jury made the right call. I am a gun owner and have a profound detestation of trashy, inconsiderate neighbors and loud music. But I think this is one of the best things that could happen for advocates of "Stand Your Ground" laws-- public evidence that even in so gun-friendly a place as Texas, this kind of law is about not having to retreat if you're going about your legitimate business. In this case, the defendant provoked a confrontation, which is OK and should be encouraged with trashy neighbors, and then he tried to invoke that defense. No. That was not "legitimate business."
Going about your legitimate business would include calling in a suspicious-looking character as a member of a neighborhood watch, and legitimate use of the defense would include killing someone, armed or not, who then comes up to you and starts beating you up.