Zimmerman - national attention is NOT because of racial profiling or 'Stand Your Ground' laws

[gratuitous]

9. I think that's an element of it

But the larger question of why the Sanford Police didn't do anything leads us back to the "Stand Your Ground" laws. Police officers, as much as we love them or hate them, are human beings. And when human beings get conflicting signals, they will most often take the path of least resistance.

What are the conflicting signals? Two different laws, one against murder and one that validates murder. My understanding of the "Stand Your Ground" law is that one component of it provides a civil remedy for anyone who invokes it as a defense against a wrongful accusation of murder. That is, if I shoot someone dead, the cops arrive, I say I was standing my ground, and the cops proceed as if I was your garden variety murderer, I could have a cause of action against the cops for money damages if the cops can't make out a murder rap against me.

So, the path of least resistance is that the cops can always go back and bring a murder charge against me if their investigation shows that I'm a dirty fibber as well as a killer, and I should be charged with some degree of homicide. But if they jump the gun (so to speak) on arresting me after I've invoked a stand your ground defense, they could be on the hook for having to pay me some money in a civil lawsuit.

Now, the Sanford Police might have screwed this case up anyway; but my take is that they were reluctant to press forward with charges that night once Zimmerman claimed he was standing his ground.