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Lawsuit calls Georgia's 'Stand Your Ground' law unconstitutional
Source: Reuters
Lawsuit calls Georgia's 'Stand Your Ground' law unconstitutional
By David Beasley
ATLANTA | Tue Nov 5, 2013 2:50pm EST
(Reuters) - 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.
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By David Beasley
ATLANTA | Tue Nov 5, 2013 2:50pm EST
(Reuters) - 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.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/05/us-usa-georgia-lawsuit-idUSBRE9A412L20131105