Florida pizza parlor shooter who invoked "Stand Your Ground" gets three years for shooting patron

[Robb]

Remember this guy? http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022035296

LARGO — Michael Jock told police last year that he had shot another man in a pizza joint for a good reason --- he was in fear for his life and standing his ground.

Nine months later, at his sentencing hearing Tuesday morning, no one mentioned the controversial law to Judge Michael Andrews. Jock's attorney, Nicholas Dorsten, had already made a deal with prosecutors: three years in prison, two years of probation.

"Resorting to violence, bringing a gun to a fist fight, is not a good thing, charitably speaking," the judge said.

Andrews told Jock, 53, he would have given him 10 years.

Read More: http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/st-petersburg-pizza-parlor-shooter-gets-three-years-in-prison-for-shooting/2143603

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. Well at least one Florida court got it right. nt

[uponit7771]

2. Why do I feel if this guy was black & murdered someone cold blood hed get more than a year in jail?

[blueridge3210]

3. The victim did not die

The shooting was clearly not justified; a felony conviction is appropriate. Not the first time someone falsely claimed self-defense after shooting someone; drug dealers do it frequently, usually without success. It does not appear the shooter was ever in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily harm. The news story does not go into a lot of detail so I don't have an educated opinion regarding the sentence imposed. It appears both parties were willing participants in the fight/affray; so it wouldn't be "in cold blood". Clearly this individual should never own a firearm again as he has clearly demonstrated that he cannot exercise good judgement.

[libdem4life]

6. I hate it that anymore, I can often tell the race from the tone or subject of the title.

Not always, but often enough.

[CanonRay]

4. Best thing is, he's a convicted felon and can't own a gun

I love it.

[Downtown Hound]

5. Bet you're glad you carried that gun around for "protection" now, aren't you?

Idiot. This is what gun nuts often fail to realize: bringing a gun to a situation almost always escalates it, not diffuses it.

What would have just been an argument or maybe at the most a fist fight now has ruined two men's lives.

[kcr]

9. But, freedom

They have the right to choose to defend themselves. So, it works out, see?

I'll never forget coming home to find out there was a fatal shooting over a parking space in the shopping center where I'd just been earlier. I wonder if the guy sitting in jail to this day regrets his decision to carry.

[reflection]

15. I live in TN

and there was an incident exactly like the one you describe a few years ago.

Two drunken assholes started arguing over a parking space because the Hummer one of them owned was spilling into the other space (shocking). The drunken asshole with the gun "won" but is in prison for a very long time. DA#1 drew his gun, cursed DA#2, stuck his gun in DA#2s mouth, cursed him some more, and shot him to death in front of his children. Then he claimed self-defense.

When he was found guilty he immediately tried to kill himself with pills. Total coward through and through. Had he not had the gun, he would be a free man today.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jul/16/coleman-guilty-Cordova-parking-lot-shooting/

[libdem4life]

7. Imagine the NRA Dream...everyone in the line would have had a gun. That's the end game, regardless

of how one approaches or apologizes for it

[Eleanors38]

8. What? SYG isn't something you can hind behind? Could there be other cases like this?

Inquiring minds just got to know.

[Orrex]

10. Dumb Jock.

[X_Digger]

11. But..but..but.. I've been told it's a "get out of jail free" card!

And that anyone invoking it will immediately be released because you can't prove it wasn't self-defense!

<gets whisper in ear>

What do you mean, those people were full of shit?!?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

12. Oh, well

Jock is an idiot

I'll tell you one thing though. The victim sounds like a fucking asshole bully. He now wants to sue Little Caesar's (not for shitty pizza) for "inciting" the whole thing.

[Jenoch]

13. Some idiot in Florida shoots and wounds lightly another idiot in Florida.

Why is this thread not yet locked? It does not fit the the GD "big news" exceptions. It reads like a local gun-crime story to me.

[ck4829]

14. Moral of the story, you have to KILL the other person and then claim Stand Your Ground

Dead men tell no tales.