Federal action sought on ‘stand your ground’ laws

A group of congressional Democrats pressed the Justice Department Tuesday to gather new data about the effects of so-called “stand your ground" laws on public safety.

Roughly two dozen states have adopted laws authorizing citizens to use deadly force if threatened, even if they could retreat instead.

The statutes have been the subject of intense debate since volunteer neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last year, even though Zimmerman did not rely on Florida’s stand your ground law in his defense.

President Obama and Attorney General Eric HolderEric Himpton HolderObama planning first post-2020 fundraiser Democratic group launches seven-figure ad campaign on voting rights bill Biden: 'Simply wrong' for Trump DOJ to seek journalists' phone records MORE have called for reconsideration of the laws and whether they encourage violence.


Echoing those concerns, seven lawmakers issued a letter to Holder Tuesday, asking him to direct the Justice Department to adjust the definition of the term “justifiable homicide” in order to capture all cases involving stand your ground laws.



Signatories on the letter were Sens. Dick DurbinDick DurbinOvernight Health Care: Takeaways on the Supreme Court's Obamacare decision | COVID-19 cost 5.5 million years of American life | Biden administration investing billions in antiviral pills for COVID-19 COVID-19 long-haulers press Congress for paid family leave Joe Manchin keeps Democrats guessing on sweeping election bill MORE (D-Ill.) and Mazie HironoMazie Keiko HironoSenate on collision course over Trump DOJ subpoenas Democrats mull overhaul of sweeping election bill White House gets back to pre-COVID-19 normality MORE (D-Hawaii), along with Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.), Bobby ScottRobert (Bobby) Cortez ScottVirginia attorney general survives primary challenge OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden suspends Arctic oil leases issued under Trump |  Experts warn US needs to better prepare for hurricane season | Progressives set sights on Civilian Climate Corps Progressives set sights on Civilian Climate Corps program: exclusive MORE (D-Va.) and Marcia FudgeMarcia FudgeOn The Money: Centrists gain leverage over progressives in Senate infrastructure battle | White House rules out gas tax hike On The Money: Yellen, Powell brush off inflation fears | Fed keeps rates steady, upgrades growth projections Hillary Clinton backs Shontel Brown in Ohio congressional race MORE (D-Ohio).

The lawmakers are also asking the Justice Department to sponsor research through the National Institute of Justice related to trends in justifiable homicides and state-by-state analyses of the impacts of different variations of "stand your ground" laws.


“But the federal government does not collect adequate data on these laws’ impact,” he said. “That must change.”

While the agency has authority to research the matter, the federal government is largely powerless to stop states from passing or enforcing the laws.