“We are saddened and disappointed…"

[MrScorpio]

“We are saddened and disappointed that the jury in the trial of Jordan Davis’s killer was unable to reach a full verdict. Our hearts are with Jordan’s family as they learn that they will have to bear another trial and more waiting for justice. Jordan and his family deserve closure in the killing of their son, and we will continue to shine a spotlight on our country’s broken Stand Your Ground laws.

Stand Your Ground laws put our children, families, and communities at risk because they give everyday, untrained citizens more leeway to shoot than the United States military gives soldiers in war zones. Children – like Jordan Davis – who may simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time are now more likely to die at the hands of the armed and angry. This is unacceptable.

Jordan’s fate is not an isolated one: He is one of at least 26 children and teens killed in Florida Stand Your Ground cases since 2005. Stand Your Ground laws – also called “shoot first” laws because they empower armed vigilantism – are associated with a clear increase in homicides, resulting in up to 700 more homicides nationwide each year, according to a 2012 study by Texas A&M researchers.

Research indicates that Stand Your Ground laws embolden people to shoot when they could have resolved conflicts by using a lesser degree of force or simply walking away. After Florida passed its Stand Your Ground law, its justifiable homicide rate tripled. Over the same time period, the justifiable homicide rate decreased in states that did not pass Stand Your Ground laws.
This increase in homicides due to Stand Your Ground laws disproportionately affects communities of color. The Urban Institute found that when white shooters kill black victims, the resulting homicides are 11 times more likely to be deemed justifiable than when the shooter is black and the victim is white.

And despite the assertions of Stand Your Ground supporters, the Texas A&M researchers found no evidence that Stand Your Ground laws deter crime.

Now that the research on Stand Your Ground laws is clear, states are listening. Though at least seven states had Stand Your Ground legislation pending at the time of Trayvon Martin’s shooting death in February 2012, not one of those bills became law. Trayvon’s death served a national wake-up call: No additional states have become Stand Your Ground states since. And legislators in at least 11 states have introduced bills to scale back or repeal their laws, and one such reform bill passed in Louisiana.
During a recent legislative hearing to repeal Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, Davis’s mother Lucia McBath, a national spokesperson for Moms Demand Action, said, “My grief is unbearable at times. I’m here as a face of the countless victims of gun violence.” Lucia has funneled her grief into activism and moms will continue to fight along side her, committed to undoing the damage these ill-conceived laws have created.

American mothers have had enough and we are prepared to go toe-to-toe with our country’s insidious gun lobby. We will stand our ground for children like Jordan Davis and we will not stop until Stand Your Ground laws are rolled back.”

— Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense In America has issued a statement about the verdict in the trial of Jordan Davis’ murderer, Michael Dunn. Jordan’s mother, Lucia McBath, is National Spokesperson for the group. [Ulitzer]

http://twitter.ulitzer.com/node/2971496

[freshwest]

1. I hope to see this group become as influential against a barrage of lies as MADD was.

[YarnAddict]

2. Was "Stand Your Ground"

used as a defense in this case?

[arthritisR_US]

3. In theory no, in practice by Dunn on the witness stand, yes. nt

[blkmusclmachine]

4. ,

,

[Voice for Peace]

5. leatherman blog

http://frederickleatherman.com/

Saturday night review of the Dunn trial 2/15/2014
February 15, 2014
Saturday, February 15, 2014

Good evening:

The Good News

A semblance of order has been restored to the universe. After deliberating for 33 hours, the jury in the Michael Dunn case convicted of him of 3 counts of attempted murder in the second degree involving Tommy Stornes, Tevin Thompson and Leeland Brunson. Each crime was committed with a firearm. It also convicted him of discharging a firearm into a vehicle.

Dunn must be sentenced to a minimum of 75 years and could be sentenced up to a maximum of 105 years.

Since he is 47-years-old, he will spend the rest of his life in prison.

There do not appear to be any issues for appeal that are likely to result in reversal of his conviction.

The Bad News

The jury was unable to reach a verdict as to count 1, which charged him with the premeditated murder of Jordan Davis. We do not know what the split was about or the vote because the jurors declined to talk to the press.

State Attorney Angela Corey announced that her office will retry Dunn on count 1.

Dunn remains in custody and is scheduled to be sentence the week of March 24th.

[billh58]

6. K&R

It's encouraging to see all of the prominent gun control groups working in concert, and helping to grow the movement for sensible gun control legislation in this country. Please support them however, and whenever you can, and we can turn this epidemic of gun violence around and clean up the mess left by the right-wing gun lobby and their NRA/ALEC/Koch Brothers corporate masters.

[mountain grammy]

7. Another day of shame for Americans..

Seems that for every two steps forward, there are nearly 2 steps back..

This is sad beyond belief.

[noiretextatique]

10. +1000

[barbtries]

8. it's an excellent statement,

covers all the bases and provides facts to back it up.
how, in 2014, did this country devolve so radically that murder has been legalized?

[marions ghost]

9. K&R

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