The “stand your ground” defense is a relatively new defense that grants the defendant immunity for his actions if they felt “death, great bodily harm or commission of a forcible felony like robbery” was going to affect them at the time. This gives them the right to stand your ground in self-defense.
The defense can be used for a variety of cases ranging from defending yourself from a gang shooting to feeling threatened by a Seventh-Day Adventist doing cartwheels in your parking lot. A fellow defense attorney, Donald Day, described the use of “stand your ground” as such: “You don’t have to wait until you’re dead before you use deadly force.”
Judges are the one who determine whether or not immunity from prosecution should apply and they use the “preponderance of the evidence” standard, a lower standard than if the jury were to decide whether the immunity applies. This allows Tampa Criminal Defense Lawyer Ben Stechschulte to present your defense to the judge before a jury ever hears about your case.
Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Ben Stechschulte is not afraid to use the “stand your ground” defense or any other necessary defense. For a free consultation regarding your legal troubles, contact Ben Stechschulte at 813 280 1244 or [email protected].