he Zimmerman Trial: How Iowa is Different from Florida

[Skidmore]

Thought you might like to see how another state deals with self defense.



http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/The-Zimmerman-Trial-How-Iowa-is-Different-from-Florida-215565271.html

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The criminal trial of George Zimmerman ended with a jury finding him not guilty in the death of Trayvon Martin. One type of law that was referenced several times during coverage the trial, the "stand your ground" law, allows people to defend themselves with deadly force. The rules vary state-to-state, and Iowa currently doesn't have one, according to Cedar Rapids attorney Sara Riley.

Riley said so-called "stand your ground" laws allow citizens in some states to take deadly action toward anyone they deem a threat.

"If somebody hits you, and you're fearful of your life, you could kill them," she explained.

Rules in that law require authorities to have evidence against a person's claim of self-defense, if they use deadly force against an attacker. That's why Zimmerman wasn't arrested the night he shot Trayvon Martin....more

[rurallib]

1. I saw Iowa listed as an 'SYG' state on several graphics Saturday

but I didn't think such a bill had passed

[Skidmore]

3. It has not passed here. It cam up for a vote last fall and did not receive the

support needed to pass into law.

[Ruby the Liberal]

2. States with SYG on the books:

Many states have enacted “stand your ground” laws that remove the duty to retreat before using force in self-defense. The following is a list of states with stand your ground laws on the books. This list is limited to those states whose legislatures have gone through the process of enacting laws that specifically affirm an individual’s right to stand their ground when defending themselves against a threat. Other states may have adopted a stand your ground doctrine through judicial interpretation of their self-defense laws, but those states are not included in this list.

Alabama
Arizona
Florida
Georgia
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Mississippi
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Texas
Utah

http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-law-basics/states-that-have-stand-your-ground-laws.html