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"It would have been tragic enough if the shooting of an unarmed teenager by a self-appointed neighborhood watch captain in Florida were the first to show the lethal folly of so-called Stand Your Ground laws. But, in fact, these outrageously dangerous laws have been adopted in many states, making it easy for shooters who kill to claim self-defense.

Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old student, was shot last month as he walked home one night with a snack in hand. His killing has stirred national outrage and protests because there is evidence he called out in alarm over his cellphone as the armed stranger closely pursued him. At the same time, George Zimmerman, the shooter, was on the phone with a police dispatcher, who told him, “We don’t need you to do that.”

Mr. Zimmerman, who got out of his car to pursue Mr. Martin, claimed a confrontation occurred that caused him to defend himself because he “reasonably believed” he would be harmed.

The local police in Sanford, Fla., ruled the shooting justifiable under a law that was created to give the benefit of the doubt to people who shoot their guns in public areas and then claim self-defense. This statute goes well beyond the traditional principles of self-defense in homes. In 2005, Florida became the first in the nation to adopt this type of measure, with overwhelming bipartisan approval and the signature of Gov. Jeb Bush.

The Department of Justice and state investigators have opened inquiries into the shooting, along with a county grand jury.

But citizens should not expect much help from lawmakers. A score of other states followed Florida’s lead as politicians eagerly sought the gun lobby’s favor. They threaten public safety by eliminating the longstanding legal requirement that someone sensing a threat has a reasonable “duty to retreat” from perceived danger before resorting to deadly force.

Since the enactment of the law, claims of justifiable homicide tripled in Florida, according to state data. “It’s almost insane what we are having to deal with,” Willie Meggs, the state attorney in Tallahassee, declared this week. Self-defense is being invoked in everything from gang shootings to backyard disputes between neighbors, with prosecutors left to disprove the shooters’ claims.

Stand Your Ground laws are abominations that should be repealed. One obvious flaw among many is that slain victims can never tell their side of the story — an undisputed fact in the tragic slaying of Trayvon Martin."

New York Times Editorial "Shot to Death in Florida" Published: March 21, 2012