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Cases of self-defense aren't always simple - especially in states with a "stand your ground" law.

In July 2018, police say Michael Drejka fatally shot a man who shoved and knocked him to the ground in an argument over a parking space in Florida.

Although critics say Drejka's use of deadly force was uncalled for, the Pinellas County sheriff declined to arrest him, citing the state's "stand your ground" law, which gave him immunity. The decision sparked outcry and calls for reform.

But it's not the first time a "stand your ground" law has created controversy. Many states have similar laws on the books.

Here's what you need to know about them.

What is a 'stand your ground' law?

Generally, "stand your ground" laws allow people to respond to threats or force without fear of criminal prosecution.

Most self-defense laws state that a person under threat of physical injury has a " duty to retreat." If after retreating the threat continues, the person may respond with force.

"If you attack me in a non-'stand your ground' state, I've got to try to get out of it," explained CNN legal analyst Mark O'Mara. "I have to retreat before I attack ... The theory is, it (responding with force) has to be your last chance."

"But in 'stand your ground' states, you have no obligation to retreat," O'Mara said.

In other words, someone facing an imminent threat can use lethal force right away - without first trying to escape.

How many states have 'stand your ground' laws?

While most states provide some form of legal protection in cases of self-defense, 25 have enacted "stand your ground" laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

The laws in at least 10 of these states, mostly in the South, literally say that you can "stand [your] ground."

It's important to note that not all "stand your ground" laws are the same. States may word and even enforce them differently.

Why these laws make a lot of news in Florida

Florida has had several high-profile cases that sparked national conversation about "stand your ground" laws.

The state passed its "stand your ground" law in 2005, allowing people to meet "force with force" if they believe they're under threat of being harmed.

Of all the states with "stand your ground laws," Florida's is "probably the strongest at this point," O'Mara said, for three reasons.

First is the fact the state's law says a person has "no duty to retreat."

Second: the state's law provides immunity from criminal prosecution and civil actions, O'Mara said, "which not all other 'stand your ground' statutes do."

The final reason, O'Mara said, can be attributed to a recent change in the law, which shifts the burden onto the state to prove that a shooter did not act in self-defense and is therefore not entitled to "stand your ground" immunities.

Previously, the shooter used "stand your ground" as a defense, and had to prove she or he feared further bodily harm. But no longer.

"Nowhere else is there anything like this in criminal law where somebody asserts something and the burden then shifts to the other person," Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said in a press conference. "That's a very heavy standard and it puts the burden on the state."

Florida's law has drawn attention over the years, most notably in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.

In 2012, a jury found George Zimmerman - who O'Mara represented in that case - not guilty in the shooting death.

Martin was walking to his father's fiancee's house from a convenience store when Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, saw him and called the police. Zimmerman defied an order to not approach the teen. When he did, the two got into a physical altercation, and Zimmerman shot Martin.

As the case garnered national attention, onlookers speculated whether Zimmerman would try to use the Florida's "stand your ground" law as part of his defense.

Zimmerman was charged in Martin's death but was eventually acquitted. Ultimately, he did not lean on the state's "stand our ground law," but did claim self defense.

Still, the case cast a spotlight on Florida's "stand your ground" law and demands to change it.

Why it's a controversial issue

Supporters of "stand your ground" laws say they give people the right to protect themselves. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush defended the law at the National Rifle Association's 2015 annual meeting in Nashville.

"In Florida you can defend yourself anywhere you have a legal right to be," he said. "You shouldn't have to choose between being attacked and going to jail."

The NRA has pushed hard for "stand your ground" laws in the past. Its former president, Marion Hammer, helped create Florida's law back in 2005.

Critics say the laws encourage violence and allow for legal racial bias. In 2013, Sherrilyn Ifill, then president and director-counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, gave testimony in a hearing on "stand your ground" laws.

"Even those who do not consciously harbor negative associations between race and criminality are regularly infected by unconscious views that equate race with violence," she wrote.

Racial stereotypes, she wrote, could cause people to misinterpret innocent behavior as something threatening or violent, and "stand your ground" laws could justify this violence.

With the controversy surrounding "stand your ground" laws, there have been efforts to change or repeal them. In 2017, North Carolina lawmakers filed the Gun Safety Act, which would repeal the state's "stand your ground" law. No updates on the bill have been available since April of 2017.

The NCSL says recent attempts have not been successful.

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What you need to know about 'stand your ground' laws | CNN

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Cases of self-defense aren't always simple - especially in states with a "stand your ground" law. In July 2018, police say Michael Drejka fatally shot a man who shoved and knocked him to the ground in an argument over a parking space in Florida.

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Stand your ground is to respond to a threat without fear. Micheal Drejka fatally shot a man from pushing him down about a parking space in Florida that was a defense from the man that pushed him.

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10 of the 25 states say you can "literally stand your ground". Which means you don't have to retreat, you can just act if you feel threatened.

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How can 🤬 be just?

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According to legalmatch.com if you or assault someone because of stand your ground you still need a criminal defense lawyer

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The law of "Stand your ground" needs to be more specific. Homicide should only be just if you are in harm as in you could die without killing them. This correlates to the uber driver because he was legitimately in danger. The man in his car had threatened to shoot him, so this was a correct responce of self defence.

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What are some exceptions to the law?
Do more conservative or liberal states have these laws

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24 states have the "stand your ground" law

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24 states have the "stand your ground" law

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"stand your ground" laws allow people to respond to threats or force without the possibility of criminal prosecution.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/29/us/stand-your-ground-law-explainer-trnd/index.html

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"stand your ground" is a self-defense law which allows people who are armed who believe they are in danger to use their weapon.

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1. can you be charged with 🤬 or attempted manslaughter because of stand your ground law.

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1. can you be charged with 🤬 or attempted manslaughter because of stand your ground law.

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2. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/13/us/florida-stand-your-ground-shooting.html
3. if it seems that there was no threat but someone pleads "Stand your ground law" they can still be charged for 🤬 or injury.
4. "Stand your ground law" did not apply to  Michael Drejka, when he shot  Markeis McGlockton  in a parking lot, Stand your ground law did not apply to Michael because he was the one who provoked the attack which voids the stand your ground law in florida.

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Stand your ground laws are good because you no longer have to have a fear of breaking the law for defending yourself at extreme measures

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1. the stand your ground law states that a person is only able to use deadly force when retreat is not an option and doesn't apply to unlawful situations. In court case, how is there anyway of knowing if retreat was possible? --in many states, they don't require you to try and retreat first. If you feel threatened in a situation, you're allowed to "stand your ground" and use force. Or if the cause of the applying lethal force was because of something illegal? (What if someone were to take advantage of the protections of this law?)

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1. the stand your ground law states that a person is only able to use deadly force when retreat is not an option and doesn't apply to unlawful situations. In court case, how is there anyway of knowing if retreat was possible? --in many states, they don't require you to try and retreat first. If you feel threatened in a situation, you're allowed to "stand your ground" and use force. Or if the cause of the applying lethal force was because of something illegal? (What if someone were to take advantage of the protections of this law?)

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2. Michael Drejka earlier this month, shot and killed a man over an argument about a parking space after he shoved and pushed him to the ground. He wasn't arrested because of the stand your ground law, it gave him immunity. (https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/29/us/stand-your-ground-law-explainer-trnd/index.html)
3. the stand your ground law only protects citizens who act in self defense, which needs to be proven. I think the law itself has the right intention, to ensure safety of those in danger for potential threats. And to make sure that these actions are taken in self defense, not everyone is given immunity provided by the law, but as homicide rates continue to rise in Florida as a result of this law, no matter the reason of the shootings, gun violence will continue to exist and grow as a result of laws like this despite their good intentions. Giving people access to guns and chances of immunity in regards of self defense only promotes and encourages the use of force where in some cases, isn't always necessary.

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1# Is this law just a way to justify shooting another person, and possibly getting away with it?
2#  Andone, Dakin. “What You Need to Know about 'Stand Your Ground' Laws.” CNN, Cable News Network, 29 July 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/07/29/us/stand-your-ground-law-explainer-trnd/index.html.
#3 This Law seems to be a way to let people shoot each other at a more alarming rate than before, due to this statement about the law " In other words, someone facing an imminent threat can use lethal force right away -- without first trying to escape."

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1. Is the law helping with more gun violence? 3. Stand your ground is to respond to a threat without fear. Micheal Drejka fatally shot a man from pushing him down about a parking space in Florida that was a defense from the man that pushed him.

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1. Is the law helping with more gun violence? 3. Stand your ground is to respond to a threat without fear. Micheal Drejka fatally shot a man from pushing him down about a parking space in Florida that was a defense from the man that pushed him.

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2.https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/29/us/stand-your-ground-law-explainer-trnd/index.html

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after trayvon martin was killed it brought alot of attention to the stand your ground law

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after trayvon martin was killed it brought alot of attention to the stand your ground law

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https://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-law-basics/stand-your-ground-laws.html

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Who's right is it to take a persons life? There are other possible ways to protect yourself from harm without killing someone. That
shouldn't be the first "go to".

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is there racism behind stand your ground? 

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is there racism behind stand your ground? 

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1. Construct related questions
2. Gather and evaluate sources
3. Develop claims, using evidence
4. Communicate your findings via this padlet and evaluate/respond to other claims.

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how could this be improved?
"Stand your ground" is a flawed law, it like anything else needs to be improved before actual use in the american Juditiary. For example

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Should the "Stand your Ground" law be in every state?

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1. In the end, what will the outcome be for the stand your ground law ?
2. If there was no stand your ground law, woman would not be able to protect themselves from a an attack.http://time.com/4664242/caroline-light-stand-your-ground-qa/
3.  Its hard to choose a side on the law, for me it depends more on the situation although, sadly I do think people abuse the law.