Shoot First, Explain Later

A HUFFINGTON POST GRAPHIC "Shoot First," Explain Later Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, sometimes called "Shoot First" by critics, allows people who feel imminently threatened to use deadly force before retreating from the threat. State laws such as this one asserting a sweeping right to self-defense outside the home have rapidly expanded in recent years and have come under fire in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting. While George Zimmerman's lawyers did not use Florida's law as part of the defense in the criminal trial, the law did contribute to the delay in his arrest. Like most states' "Stand Your Ground" laws, Florida's is written in a way that would make it extremely difficult for the Martin family to pursue a civil trial against Zimmerman. States with some form of "Stand Your Ground" legislation States where there is no civil immunity in "Stand Your Ground" cases "Stand Your Ground" Legislation By Year 1990s 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Connecticut Hawaii Florida Nevada New Hampshire North Carolina Pennsylvania Illinois Alabama Missouri Ohio Montana Alaska North Dakota West Virginia Tennessee lowa Arizona Wyoming Utah Georgia Texas Idaho ldano Indiana mdiana Kansas Wisconsin Kentucky Louisiana Michigan Mississippi Oklahoma South Carolina South Dakota Source: The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys THE HUFFINGTON POST