Posted on 05/27/2012 4:16:51 AM PDT by marktwain
FORT PIERCE — Before a crowd of approximately 100 people, Patricia Broussard, an FAMU constitutional law professor, explained that because of the immunity clause of the Stand Your Ground Law that was passed in 2005, the controversial law might violate a person’s right to due process.
Since that time, alleged perpetrators have invoked this defense 200 times. In Florida, one in every 17 Floridians has a valid concealed weapons permit, and public records show that police and prosecutors continue to apply the self-defense law unevenly.
On May 20, Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church was the setting for an educational forum on the Stand Your Ground Law sponsored by the Eta Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Valerie Bant-Wilson, the sorority’s public policy committee chairman, as well as the sorority’s State of Florida public policy coordinator, felt that because many citizens do not understand the Stand Your Ground Law, such a forum would be beneficial.
The very capable panel -- with representation from the Florida legislature, the State Attorney's Office, law enforcement community, and the judicial system -- was successful in sharing vital information with the audience.
According to Brant-Wilson, many citizens are more confused because of the conviction of Marissa Alexander and the judicial state of Trayvon Martin’s killing.
Broussard served as moderator of the esteemed panel (Chief Deputy State Attorney Thomas Bakedehl, Fort Pierce City Police Chief Sean Baldwin, St. Lucie County Chief Deputy Garry Wilson, attorney Lorenzo Williams, retired Judge Ralph Flowers, and State Rep. Steve Perman), which posed questions that ranged from how the law might pre-empt the law enforcement community and State Attorney's Office from doing their jobs to the reasons the state legislature felt the necessity to replace the Castle Doctrine, which allows a citizen to defend himself or herself.
The panel and audience were able to view several YouTube clips that gave varying examples of individuals using the Stand Your Ground Law to prove their innocence in road rage, auto theft, and domestic violence cases, as well as a neighbor killing two people who were robbing his neighbor’s house.
In light of the many questions germane to the Martin case, Mazella Smith, chapter co-chairman of the forum, articulated that the purpose of the educational forum was to educate and not litigate the particulars in Martin’s case.
It was quite evident that the cases used to illicit audience participation were quite confusing. The general theme conveyed by questioners was that if you killed someone, the law would protect you.
The two-hour forum provided critical thinking from both the panel and the audience.
At the end of the meeting, the audience, as well as the panel, relayed beliefs that the Stand Your Ground Law should be repealed. Perman encouraged the citizens, as he shared the recommendations of Governor Scott’s Task Force, which did not include repealing the law, to contact their representatives if they want to see the Stand Your Ground Law repealed.
This story is contributed by a member of the Treasure Coast community and is neither endorsed nor affiliated with TCPalm.com
It's 97 more people than journalists need to use that word.
“They got due process, due to their criminal activity the Coroner processed the remains. It’s that simple.”
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Here in South Carolina if the criminal activity takes place during hours of darkness, then any wrongful death lawsuit by family members is DOA.
FAMU law = joke. Restarted in '02 with a focus on 'sivvil rites lahw', only got full ABA accreditation in '09, huge 1L attrition, >50% percentile LSATs, >60% avg. 1st bar pass.
Broussard wins the annual 'spirit' award named after the deposed Dean.
"The school drew media attention because a state-conducted audit found that staff on the payroll were not performing any work for the school. A payroll audit in 2005 led to the firing of the dean, Percy Luney Jr., although he was never directly linked to the deal, and the conclusion of Shirley Cunningham, Jr.'s faculty position. The interim university President, Castel Bryant, subsequently reported that Cunningham had not undertaken any work at the institution, despite his salary.
Howard Law School has a pretty good reputations; FAMU Law, not so good.
UNMITIGATED BULLSHIT!!
What the law professors are worried about is that Stand Your Ground creates a far more effective deterrent than the death penalty does, the sentence is carried out on the spot, and there is no appeal nor legal arguments.
SYG is the substitute death penalty for feral miscreants who are out to kill you. And since the lib lawyers have stalled executions (into perpetuity) then SYG is what we have left. No wonder lib lawyers and black race agitators want to get rid of SYG
She's talking about the "due process" right of the shot thugs and their families to sue the shooter and to demand the shooter be put in jail for excessive force and violating the constitutional rights of the thug. It provides fewer opportunities for lawyers to litigate endlessly.
And this Ft. Pierce SYG case - decided just 10 days ago -- didn't come up as a topic.
An illegal alien successfully used SYG despite covering up the crime scene and lying to the police!
"A jury found Thursday afternoon that a Fort Pierce man was justified in stabbing and killing a man under Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law...Gilberto Galvez not guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Carlos Pereza in the early morning hours of March 19, 2011...Isenhower argued to jurors that Galvez' attempts to hide evidence — putting Pereza in his car and pushing it across the street, cleaning blood off the driveway, hiding the knife and bloody clothes on top of the house and lying to police about knowing the victim — showed "consciousness of guilt."...
Despite the not-guilty verdict, Galvez is not a free man; he is being held at the St. Lucie County Jail to be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials for being an illegal immigrant."
You can't read that and not come away with the knowledge that George Zimmerman is going to be a wealthy man when all is said and done. Lawsuit, book deal, you name it.
And a happy Memorial Day to you as well. I’m enjoying a period of relaxation before taking my daughter out on her driving lesson...
Since when is 100 people a crowd?
When you plan a seed it grows. That is true even for weeds.
Dream on commie!
illicit?
Western civilization is doomed.
If I remember correctly Howard University lost it's accreditation many years ago. This POS was teaching crap at a crap institution and is presently still doing both. Florida A&M, another joke.
Therein is the Big lie propagated by the Negroes, Leftist Press, and the Democrats. They are not trying to get any "justice" for that room temp thug but they are trying to use his death to tear apart the ability of citizens to protect themselves and place them back at the mercy of Prosecuting Attorneys.
They want push us faster to Totalitarian Hell by keeping us from defending ourselves from criminals, Government and individual alike.
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