Thursday, March 22, 2012

Stand your ground; the media's been around this story before.

All this talk about Zimmerman (hey here's at least the arrest report for some facts. Call me crazy but while the guy looks very mall-ninjay, I don't think that's enough to string him up, even if the Media *knows* he's guilty). Got me thinking about the last time I heard the antis scream about the Florida's SRG law.

Consider this report filed just in January: Collier judge upholds 'Stand Your Ground' stabbing death defense in teen's bus stop bullying

A judge’s ruling, made public Tuesday, granted a motion to dismiss the second-degree murder charge against Jorge Saavedra in the death of 16-year-old Dylan Nuno on the grounds that he acted in self-defense under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. The State Attorney’s Office has indicated that it will not appeal the ruling.

Nuno’s family and friends criticized Collier County Circuit Judge Lauren Brodie’s decision, calling it “unbelievable” and “heartbreaking.”

“We know this wasn’t the right decision,” said Dylan’s aunt, Adriana Nuno.“(The judge) is showing those kids it’s OK to get away with murder.”

Get away with murder? The evils of Stand Your Ground. Well, let's see what lead to the death?

Brodie’s ruling concluded that Saavadra, who said he was bullied and tried avoid a fight with Nuno, did not act unlawfully. She added that Saavadra had more than enough reason to believe he was in danger of death or great bodily harm.

In a nine-page document released Tuesday by the State Attorney’s Office, Brodie stated that by getting off the bus several stops before the location where the fight was to happen, Saavedra “demonstrated that, with or without a knife, (he) had no desire to fight with Dylan Nuno.”

Accompanied by several students, Dylan Nuno, a junior, followed Saavedra, a freshman, off the bus. He then punched him in the back of the head, according to court documents and testimony.

Saavedra attempted to get away once, witnesses said. He then stabbed Dylan Nuno 12 times in the chest and abdomen. Two of the blows caused fatal wounds, including one that nicked his heart.

Emphasis added. So, after trying to escape from a fight, Jorge Saavedra was assaulted from behind, tries to retreat once more, and only after that stabs Dylan Nuno.

Even if there was no Stand Your Ground, and this was in A Duty To Retreat state... Saavedra met that requirement by trying to escape.

But just look at this.

Of course unlike Zimmerman in this case there were no guns (so no candles) and there wasn't the race angle. Which proved to be less fertile ground for the antis.

Oh and you want to see how common Stand Your Ground Statutes are? 31 states have 'em and only 12 got 'em recently. But it's Florida that's getting blood in the streets.

Edit: Linoge looks at some tweets and finds people that don't care about such niceties as due process and are fine with vigilantism if it's in their hands.

In the end, if Zimmerman walks (and I am not saying he should or will), it will not be because of Florida’s "Stand Your Ground" law because Zimmerman was not covered by that law and the law does not protect aggressors nor does it protect actual murderers. Of course, those small details of facts make no difference to the warped and twisted minds determined to dance in Martin’s blood and exploit this incident to their own authoritarian desires.

It wouldn't be the first time.

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