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The media , Zimmerman case, and the law
Prof. Jacob Sullum has an article at Reason Online pointing out that sundry reporters and spokesmen are talking about "stand your ground laws," when they had nothing to do with the case (if a person is pinned to the ground, retreat is not an issue), and others misunderstand self-defense law.
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Earlier they were confusing "stand your ground" with "immunity from prosecution." See Florida Statute 776.032 and State v Dennis. We call it a Dennis Hearing. They were both promulgated in the same year; 2005 and some just don't take the time to understand the difference. As posted above, this was never a stand your ground case,it was straight up self-defense. Z never asked for an immunity hearing. You will more about immunity if a civil case is filed.
F.S 776.032
(3) The court shall award reasonable attorney’s fees, court costs, compensation for loss of income, and all expenses incurred by the defendant in defense of any civil action brought by a plaintiff if the court finds that the defendant is immune from prosecution as provided in subsection (1).
Even Eric Holder is blubbering about how stand your ground laws cause little black children to get killed. Since he must understand the law well enough to know that "stand your ground" had nothing to do with the Zimmerman trial, he must be cynically pandering to the ignorant racists in his audience.
When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less."
Most media types seem to have studied at the Humpty Dumpty school. Too bad it passes for "education" these days.
Sadly, the political class has picked up on it too. (It depends on what the meaning of "is" is . . . ) To the detriment of our political discourse.