Posted on 11/05/2013 8:27:58 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
A national coalition led by the Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. is seeking to have Georgia's "Stand Your Ground" statute ruled unconstitutional, arguing in a federal lawsuit filed late Monday that the law discriminates against minorities.
The 2006 law, which allows citizens to use deadly force in self-defense if they feel threatened, harms black people because they are often perceived by society as more dangerous than other racial groups, Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition said in the suit filed in Atlanta.
"All Georgians, and particularly those of color, will be compelled to at all times prove that they are not taking part in any action which may lead an individual to form a ‘reasonable belief' that they are posing a threat to them," the suit said.
Robert Patillo, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said he believed the coalition's legal challenge was the only pending federal lawsuit in the country against a state "Stand Your Ground" law.
The laws came under new scrutiny after the 2012 death of Florida teenager, Trayvon Martin. Police in the central Florida town of Sanford initially declined to arrest shooter George Zimmerman, citing that state's Stand Your Ground law and evidence that the unarmed Martin was getting the better of Zimmerman in a struggle when Zimmerman drew his gun and fired.
Martin was black, and Zimmerman is white and Hispanic. Zimmerman was later charged in the shooting death of the unarmed Martin but was acquitted by a jury of second-degree murder.
Though the Atlanta suit references Martin's case, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition began preparing its challenge before his death, Patillo said.
"We're hoping this will catch on and that there will be similar suits in the other 20-plus states" with Stand Your Ground laws, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Perfect!
We need this nonsense to be defeated in court a few times, so we don’t have to listen to the stupidity.
The only time these bums invoke the constitution is to try to strike down something that is constitutional.
The fact of the matter is that many of them are more dangerous than other racial groups.
Maybe the good reverend should work on that end of the problem.
This of course is a piece of transparent Kabuki theater orchestrated by JJackson to garner contributions to his legal assault fund. Old grifters never die; they just move onto another scam.
Jackson once said if he was walking down a street at night and heard footsteps behind him, he’d be relieved to find out the guy was white. Surely that’s on tape somewhere.
I remember reading that too.
“....black people because they are often perceived by society as more dangerous than other racial groups....”
.
Hmmm, interesting concept.
Self defense is Unconstitutional, who knew?
The fact that more blacks than whites - by far - assert SYG as a defense kills this stupidity outright.
It’s statistically true that a lot of violent criminals are black. It’s also statistically true that most of their victims are ALSO black. Why shouldn’t the vast majority of law abiding folks that are black be able to defend themselves from the bad apples?
Hey Jesse. We don’t care. :-)
If this argument were deemed valid then it would mean all violent criminal laws are unconstitutional.
“stand your ground” was never invoked in the Travon Martin case....and Jesse Jackson keeps trying to justify his existance....pathetic
How about Jesse and his national coalition keep their big fat noses out of Georgia’s business?
The Black Ku Klux Klan wants to take away White folks rights to self defense and Second Amendment. Folks need to start waking up to this fact
They’ll replace it with the Run Cracka Run law.
“All Georgians, and particularly those of color, will be compelled to at all times prove that they are not taking part in any action which may lead an individual to form a ‘reasonable belief’ that they are posing a threat to them,” the suit said.
Yes, exactly right, but that is not a very tough standard to meet. To rephrase the idea in simpler language: “this law means we can’t run around scaring the bejeezus out of people without possibly getting shot”. What exactly is wrong with that?
Meaningless!
Any suit can call any 'Stand your Ground law' a sandwich.
That doesn't make it a sandwich!
D'OH!!
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