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The acquittal of George Zimmerman in Trayvon Martin's death has thrust Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law into the spotlight again. More than 20 other states have a similar law. Is it time to revisit what some experts say is a license to kill?

The case against George Zimmerman brought a lot of attention to Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law. Other states have similar laws, but just one sentence could have changed the outcome of the case dramatically.

In the year since it landed on the international news radar, the Trayvon Martin case has raised a global discussion about Florida's controversial "Stand Your Ground" law. But in a stunning twist of events Tuesday morning, George Zimmerman's attorneys waived their client's right to a scheduled April 22 hearing that was to be held under the law that has sparked so much debate, ABC news reports.

Stevie Wonder told an audience on Sunday that after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, he would not play in Florida or any other state that has a Stand Your Ground law -- the controversial self-defense provision that lead to Zimmerman's acquittal in the killing of Trayvon Martin.

In a speech to the NAACP, Attorney General Holder blasted Florida's "Stand Your Ground" laws, the self-defense provisions that were central to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin. Holder said earlier that his Justice Department is investigating bringing federal charges against Zimmerman.

The new PSA calls for the repeal of "Stand Your Ground" laws in 26 states.

Attorney General Eric Holder blasted "stand-your-ground" laws in the wake of the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting Trayvon Martin, saying such laws cause more violence than they prevent. Photo: Getty Images.

At the convention of the NAACP on Tuesday, Attorney General Eric Holder blasted "stand-your-ground laws" in the wake of the acquittal of George Zimmerman for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin.

Attorney General Eric Holder on Tuesday strongly criticized stand-your-ground laws that allow a person who believes he is in danger to use deadly force in self-defense. Holder said he was concerned about the case of Trayvon Martin, in which George Zimmermann was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges, and said the Justice Department has an open investigation into what happened.

The state Senate's Democratic leader has filed a bill revising Florida's "stand your ground law" following the Trayvon Martin shooting. Sen. Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale said on Wednesday said his bill (SB 136) was inspired by the unarmed 17-year-old boy's death in Sanford. Martin was shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman who is claiming self-defense under the law.

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Revisiting 'Stand Your Ground' Laws (Video)

MIAMI (AP) - Tyrone Smith knew how to use his fists. Around his Miami Gardens neighborhood, the 19-year-old was known as the Karate Kid because he taught local children self defense and how to stand up to bullies.

But when Smith felt insulted and began shouting at neighbor Jason Kinsey, the confrontation did not end in fisticuffs. Instead, Kinsey, 20, fatally shot the unarmed teen - claiming he was defending himself against the martial arts expert.

A judge agreed. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge William Thomas last month ruled Kinsey indeed acted in self-defense, saying prosecutors are discounting the enormity of Smiths rage and the level of physical skill that Smith possessed as compared to Kinsey.

The legal fight, however, is far from over. The State Attorneys Office is now appealing the judges decision to dismiss the second-degree murder charge.

For prosecutors and Smiths family, the case encapsulates all that is wrong with Floridas controversial Stand Your Ground law: the teen was unarmed, challenging Kinsey to an old-school fistfight only after being repeatedly provoked.

People use that to get away with murder, said Smiths grandmother, Cynthia Hill. The law needs to be modified.

Said Travares Daniels, his uncle: I know if a jury had heard this, hed be going to jail.

But for Kinsey and his defense team, the law worked exactly as lawmakers designed it. Kinsey was the bullied victim and had zero duty to retreat. His fear of great bodily harm was real, even if Smith had no weapon in his hands, said attorney Richard Gregg.

This case shows how the Stand Your Ground law is supposed to work and does work, Gregg said. Its textbook.

Kinsey is still facing an illegal firearm and evidence-tampering charge. He is on house arrest as prosecutors appeal.

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Judge in stand your ground case says fists can be lethal

MIAMI (AP) -

Tyrone Smith knew how to use his fists. Around his Miami Gardens neighborhood, the 19-year-old was known as the "Karate Kid" because he taught local children self defense and how to stand up to bullies.

But when Smith felt insulted and began shouting at neighbor Jason Kinsey, the confrontation did not end in fisticuffs. Instead, Kinsey, 20, fatally shot the unarmed teen -- claiming he was defending himself against the martial arts expert.

A judge agreed. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge William Thomas last month ruled Kinsey indeed acted in self-defense, saying prosecutors are "discounting the enormity of Smith's rage and the level of physical skill that Smith possessed as compared to Kinsey."

The legal fight, however, is far from over. The State Attorney's Office is now appealing the judge's decision to dismiss the second-degree murder charge.

For prosecutors and Smith's family, the case encapsulates all that is wrong with Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground law: the teen was unarmed, challenging Kinsey to an "old-school" fistfight only after being repeatedly provoked.

"People use that to get away with murder," said Smith's grandmother, Cynthia Hill. "The law needs to be modified."

Said Travares Daniels, his uncle: "I know if a jury had heard this, he'd be going to jail."

But for Kinsey and his defense team, the law worked exactly as lawmakers designed it. Kinsey was the bullied victim and had zero duty to retreat. His fear of "great bodily harm" was real, even if Smith had no weapon in his hands, said attorney Richard Gregg.

"This case shows how the Stand Your Ground law is supposed to work and does work," Gregg said. "It's textbook."

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Stand Your Ground Law - Christian Lopez

By: cesar xiloj

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Stand Your Ground Law - Christian Lopez - Video

By Pasang Lama

In 2005 Florida passed its explicit Stand Your Ground law,which gives an individual the right to use deadly force instead of retreating when facing a situation where they feel threatened. As many as 22 states following Florida have passed the law with the help of the American Legislative Council (ALEC).

Since the law was enacted gun deaths in Florida as well as other states with the law have increased. And its not only gun deaths that has increased but also the overall homicide rate compared to states that dont have stand your ground laws.

The law itself has had many controversies over the years. Many critics predicted that the law could lead to racially motivated crimes and promote deadly escalations of arguments, both of which have happened. So therefore it goes to show that the Stand Your Ground laws have increased racial tension, because of the racial bias surrounding the law. African American Civil Rights organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) who are against the law fight to bring justice to those who have been a victim to the racial bias Stand Your Ground laws provide such as Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander.

Case Study: Trayvon Martin/ Marissa Alexander

On the night of February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida, an unarmed African american teenager, Trayvon Martin who was returning from a nearby convenience store, was shot to death after an altercation with a neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman, who had previous criminal records before the shooting. Zimmerman who was initially told by a 911 operator not to pursue Trayvon insisted on doing so leading to the altercation, and eventually Trayvon dead. The case made national headlines and many African Americans believed that it was a racially motivated crime. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights(USCCR) launched an investigation, into Stand Your Ground laws, regarding the controversy around the killing of Trayvon Martin.

The case was under even more scrutiny when Zimmerman was found not guilty due to Floridas Stand Your Ground law as he claimed to have used. The verdicts decision sparked national outrage as people took to the streets and started protesting.

A survey done by The Pew Research Center, on the decision of the verdict, found that 39% were satisfied with the verdict versus 42% who were dissatisfied. Whats more interesting is that 86% of African Americans were dissatisfied versus 5% satisfied whereas 49% of whites were satisfied and only 30% of whom were dissatisfied at the verdicts decision. It wasnt just how satisfied and dissatisfied someone was about the verdict but much more deeper as it shows that 60% of whites believed that the issue of race was getting more attention than it deserved compared to 13% of Africans Americans who also believed that. 78% of Africans Americans believed that the verdicts decision raises important issues about race that need to be discussed compared to 28% of whites who also believe this.

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Stand Your Ground laws Increase Racial Tension. | Arts ...