Florida journalists are speaking out after their state's legislature passed a proposal making it far more difficult to report on cases involving the controversial Stand Your Ground law.
Florida's Stand Your Ground law has repeatedly made national headlines because of its role in the deaths of teenagers Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis. On Thursday, the Florida House passed an NRA-backed proposal that includes an amendment which would expand the Stand Your Ground defense to those who fire warning shots to deter potential attacks. The bill also allows for the expunging of records in Stand Your Ground cases where charges were eventually dropped. The bill is now headed to the Florida Senate.
why are they changing the law i thought it was going just the way they wanted Blacks die or get 60 years for a warning shot while others walk free with a trail of blood behind them. something is up other than the horrendous law being to extreme and leaning one way.
As the bill makes its way through the legislative process, top Sunshine State journalists are worried that making these records unavailable to the public will damage their ability to do proper journalism.Among those speaking out are top reporters and editors at the Tampa Bay Times, which conducted a lengthy 2012 investigation into Stand Your Ground that won industry praise and raised concerns about the applications of the law, including the fact that in nearly four out of every five cases involving a Stand Your Ground defense, homicides were deemed justified if the victim was black.
i think media concern is revenue from such ridiculously adjudicated murders by courts that only allow the jury to hear what they deem negatives about the victim, and instruction to jury prevents them from rendering a verdict that is obviously intentional homicide.
as far as Ms. Alexander warning shot could get her 60 years with a judge who appears to be salivating to hand it down, stand your ground thus far has proven to be legal eradication of Blacks, wonder what the law will say if the table turns, or is this a reason for the change to not let the "others get away with what has already been a law specifically for White excusing.
the way it is now media has stories they can run for years and still cash in of the sensationalism, of no justice, just us.
