As A Former Law Enforcement Officer, My Impressions Of The Martin Case.

[caseymoz]

21. Ty for the commentary.

The SYG law that citizens who have killed in defense are immune from arrest and prosecution (paraphrase). The main problem is, it says unless there's probable cause at the scene, this immunity is to be given. No police protocols are given for making that determination, it just says a citizen who does this is immune from arrest. And it doesn't give any provisions or procedures on how or if that immunity can be revoked.

I hear, the Sanford police sent a narcotics cop to do the investigation, not a homicide detective. So, they sent somebody who probably was not familiar with SYG, and had no idea what he was doing if he decided there was no probable cause for arrest.

SYG gums up the works so badly here, I doubt that Zimmerman will even be arrested on manslaughter or murder charges. I feel so sorry for Trayvon Martin's parents.

I hate SYG. To make homicide, of any sort, more convenient is a dumb idea. I could understand giving more leeway in court, but justifiable or not, a homicide has to at least be looked into. To do it any other way is to say homicide is no big thing, that somebody's life at that scene was worthless, and without due process, either. Florida's seeing the results of that now.

Legislators must not approach criminal law with the idea that arrest, investigation and trial themselves are injustices. (Though it might be literally true, they should approach that problem separately.) Otherwise the entire system of jurisprudence becomes unworkable.