U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to Discuss Stand Your Ground in Orlando

Commission on Civil RightsThe U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will bring together an expert panel in Orlando on October 17th to examine whether there are racial disparities in the application or enforcement of Stand Your Ground laws.

Stand Your Ground laws have been controversial particularly since the Trayvon Martin case. These laws, which have gained passage now in 33 states in some form, justify the use of deadly force and eliminate the duty to retreat if an individual reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to him- or herself.

The Commission is primarily concerned with whether there is possible racial bias in the assertion, investigation and/or enforcement of justifiable homicide laws in states with Stand Your Ground provisions. The diverse 15-person panel (see full list below) will present testimony on the personal impact of the laws and findings from their research regarding the racial dimensions of justifiable homicides. The experts will elaborate upon actions being advanced by advocacy groups to alleviate concerns related to Stand Your Ground laws.

“The Commission is fulfilling an important obligation by investigating and reporting on the use of Stand Your Ground laws in order to ensure that such laws are not violating the civil rights of Americans,” said Commission Staff Director Marlene Sallo.

Experts who are scheduled to appear are:

  • Ahmad Nabil Abuznaid, Attorney – Dream Defenders
  • Elizabeth Burke, Managing Attorney, The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence
  • Arkadi Gerney, Senior Fellow – Center for American Progress
  • David A. Harris, Professor of Law – University of Pittsburgh School of Law
  • William Krouse – Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress
  • David LaBahn, President – Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
  • John Lott, President – Crime Prevention Research Center
  • Lucia McBath, Mother of Jordan Davis
  • Representative Harold Mitchell, Jr., South Carolina House of Representatives
  • John Roman, The Urban Institute
  • Katheryn Russell-Brown, Professor of Law, University of Florida School of Law
  • Minority Leader J. Todd Rutherford, South Carolina House of Representatives
  • Ilya Shapiro, Senior Fellow – CATO Institute
  • Senator Christopher L. Smith, Florida Senate
  • Professor Ronald S. Sullivan, Jr., Harvard Law School
The briefing will take place on Friday the 17th from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm in the Grand Ballroom of the Rosen Plaza Hotel (9700 International Drive, Orlando 32819). The briefing is open to the public without registration.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising the President and Congress on civil rights matters and issuing a federal civil rights enforcement report.

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