A Miami judge ruled on Monday that new revisions to Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law are unconstitutional. Florida Governor Rick Scott signed the amended “Stand Your Ground” law on June 9,  requiring prosecutors to prove a defendant wasn’t acting in self-defense at pretrial hearings.

Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Milton Hirsch held that the legislative changes altered the burden of proof in “Stand Your Ground” cases, raising the threshold “from mere preponderance of the evidence to clear and convincing evidence.” Per Florida’s Constitution, such changes could only be made by the Florida Supreme Court, not the state legislature, and were therefore unconstitutional, Hirsch said. In outlining the necessity for a separation of powers among the three branches of government, Hirsch even referenced a paper about the Ministry of Magic’s judicial overreach in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”

Hirsch’s ruling comes as the result of two “Stand Your Ground” cases in his court. Liletha Rutherford was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm and grand theft for pulling a gun on a couple during an argument. Omar Rodriguez was charged with first-degree murder for shooting and killing Jose Rey over an argument about Rey’s dog. Rodriguez claimed Rey charged at him with a knife. Police recovered a knife at the crime scene, but discovered Rodriguez’s DNA on the knife, not Rey’s.

Florida lawmakers reacted to the ruling on social media. State Senator Rob Bradley, who sponsored one of the amendments to the “Stand Your Ground” law, said in a tweet that the court’s ruling “attacks the Legislature’s role in defining and protecting our individual rights.”

Today’s Miami trial court ruling attacks the Legislature’s role in defining and protecting our individual rights. /1

— Rob Bradley (@Rob_Bradley) July 3, 2017

Following Hirsch’s ruling, Rutherford and Rodriguez will now each have to prove they acted in self-defense. Currently, the ruling only applies to those two cases. However, appeals are likely to make their way to appellate courts and the Florida Supreme Court.

The effectiveness of “Stand Your Ground” laws hasn’t exactly been clear. In March, Florida State Senator Dennis Baxley claimed that since Florida’s 2005 “Stand Your Ground” law, “we’ve seen violent crime continuously go down.”

PolitiFact pointed out some flaws in that statement. While violent crime in Florida has dropped a cumulative 34.9 percent from 2005 to 2015, that decrease is not “continuous” as Baxley contends. Data show occasional increases in Florida’s violent crime rate during that 10-year period, however not enough to really counteract that overall decline in violent crime.

That said, PolitiFact also highlighted the fact that national violent crime rates have also been decreasing since the 1990s. It has yet to be proven whether Florida’s decrease in violent crime has been due to its “Stand Your Ground” laws, considering several states with similar drops do not have “Stand Your Ground” laws.

Critics of “Stand Your Ground” say the laws disproportionately benefit defendants who kill black victims compared to those who kill white victims, and often allow defendants to avoid murder charges.

The Tampa Bay Times identified nearly 200 “Stand You Ground” cases. Of those cases, 70 percent of defendants who invoked a “Stand Your Ground” defense were acquitted. Seventy-three percent of defendants who killed a black person faced no penalty, while 59 percent of defendants who killed a white person faced no penalty.

One of the most high-profile “Stand Your Ground” cases involved George Zimmerman, the “neighborhood watchman” who shot and killed 17-year-old black Florida teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012. Zimmerman did not invoke the “Stand Your Ground” law in his trial, but the judge issued instructions to the jury along the same lines as the law’s language, saying Zimmerman “had the right to stand his ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he reasonably believed that it was necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or another.” Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges in Martin’s death.

“Stand Your Ground” may stay in place in Florida for now, but Hirsch’s ruling could limit the extent to which the law is allowed to reach. The question has the potential to make it to higher courts and get decided once and for all.

Marcus Dieterle

Marcus is an editorial intern at Law Street. He is a rising senior at Towson University where he is double majoring in mass communication (with a concentration in journalism and new media) and political science. When he isn’t in the newsroom, you can probably find him reading on the train, practicing his Portuguese, or eating too much pasta. Contact Marcus at Staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Miami Judge Rules “Stand Your Ground” Law Revisions Are Unconstitutional appeared first on Law Street.

Canada Tells Us We’re Great!

Some of our neighbors up to the North thought Americans needed a little pick-me-up after all the controversy and negative news surrounding the election. Canadian PR firm The Garden started a little campaign called “Tell America it’s great,” where they asked a bunch of Canadians why America is so awesome.

We love you guys, and we’re really sorry you’re going through a tough time. Thank you for being our cool big bro #TellAmericaItsGreat

— Kel H. (@Venomous_Bear) October 15, 2016

obama: oh god this country is going to shit i can’t even watch…
trudeau: i know, i’m so sorry bro pic.twitter.com/NxQKQep5j7

— jennifer (@jramseyxo) October 10, 2016

The result was a bunch of tweets under the hashtag #TellAmericaItsGreat, and a short video. The Garden’s workers wrote they were a little nervous before beginning, considering America is not perfect and its relationship with Canada often focuses on making fun of each other’s imperfections. But the results are pretty heartwarming and almost tear-jerking.

Thanks, neighbors!

Rant Crush

RantCrush collects the top trending topics in the law and policy world each day just for you.

The post RantCrush Top 5: October 18, 2016 appeared first on Law Street.

For today’s dose of “People Suck” (a common refrain here at Law Street) let’s chat about what George Zimmerman is up to now. Let’s keep in mind that since Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin in 2012, he’s been up to quite a lot–for example, last September he retweeted a photo of Martin’s dead body, appearing to brag about it. Earlier in 2015, he got into a road rage incident with another driver. He also had a few different altercations with his girlfriend, and all around just seems like a totally standup guy. But now Zimmerman is in the news once again after the story broke this morning that he’s attempting to auction the gun he used to shoot Trayvon Martin online.

The website gunbroker.com had a listing for the weapon this morning, but the page has since been taken down. However the listing is available in cache form, and shows the details of the proposed auction. The page listed the bidding as starting at $5,000, and featured a short description that appears to have been written by Zimmerman himself. Here are some fascinatingly ridiculous highlights:

The firearm for sale is the firearm that was used to defend my life and end the brutal attack from Trayvon Martin on 2/26/2012.

…

Many have expressed interest in owning and displaying the firearm including The Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. This is a piece of American History.

…

The firearm is fully functional as the attempts by the Department of Justice on behalf of B. Hussein Obama to render the firearm inoperable were thwarted by my phenomenal Defense Attorney.

…

On this day, 5/11/2016 exactly one year after the shooting attempt to end my life by BLM sympathizer Matthew Apperson I am proud to announce that a portion of the proceeds will be used to: fight BLM violence against Law Enforcement officers, ensure the demise of Angela Correy’s persecution career and Hillary Clinton’s anti-firearm rhetoric.

If you didn’t follow those ramblings, the gist is this: Zimmerman is still purporting that Martin attacked him, claims that the Smithsonian wanted his gun, implies that Obama and/or the Justice Department tried to disable his gun, and that he’s going to use the proceeds of the gun auction to fight Black Lives Matter Advocates, the prosecutor who tried him, and Hillary Clinton.

Zimmerman also claims that he’s selling the gun to move on with his life, saying:

I’m a free American. I can do what I’d like with my possessions. I thought it’s time to move past the firearm. And if I sell it and it sells, I move past it. Otherwise, it’s going in a safe for my grandkids and never to be used or seen again.

Luckily, the site on which Zimmerman was trying to host his morbid and downright inappropriate auction has put a stop to it, but I’m sure Zimmerman will come up with some crackbrained scheme to horrify us all again any day now.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Seriously?: George Zimmerman Tries to Auction Off Gun Used to Shoot Trayvon Martin appeared first on Law Street.

Welcome to the RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through the top five controversial and crazy stories in the world of law and policy each day. So who is ranting and who is raving today? Check it out below:

George Zimmerman Auctioning off Gun Used to Kill Trayvon Martin

Yes, you read that right. The listing for the 9 mm Kel-Tec PF-9 pistol used to kill Martin went live today on gunbroker.com. The starting bid? $5,000. The news has inspired many passionate people. Some are outraged by the fact that the DOJ returned the gun to Zimmerman, others are anxious to get their hands on it. All proceeds, however, will not be going to Zimmerman’s own fortune but to “fight BLM (Black Lives Matter) violence against Law Enforcement officers” as well as “ensure the demise of … Hillary Clinton’s anti-firearm rhetoric.” Yep. 

National Parks open to proposal of corporate sponsorships

National Parks may soon have corporate sponsors: https://t.co/FoAwfmiRFX pic.twitter.com/pWud0nIQYk

— The Daily Dot (@dailydot) May 12, 2016

America’s national parks are insanely broke. It’s sad because a lot of that land is used to preserve natural monuments and precious wildlife. But there is a solution: to allow for limited corporate sponsorship, meaning corporations could fund national parks in exchange for marketing plugs. The proposal is still up for heated debate but you can see some national treasures reimagined with popular brands here.

Europe’s leaders diss Trump and it’s kind of beautiful

If the leaders of the world made a “Mean Girls” movie, it would look something like this. Sadiq Khan, newly elected mayor of London and Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, have teamed up against Trump and it is literally squad goals.

Bye, bye Regina George, I mean, Trump.

Hillary Clinton’s Awkward Email Scandal Continues

Listen, we’ve all been there. We’ve lost emails, accidentally deleted them, sent them to the wrong person, wiped servers, and burned them in gallons of kerosene. But when you’re Secretary of State, the whole correspondence thing is taken way more seriously. This time it isn’t Clinton but Clinton’s IT staffer who has come under scrutiny for a year’s worth of email files gone missing. The State Department says it can’t find the file. So, either they’re incompetent or someone’s trying to keep something under wraps. The scandal continues to be a huge vulnerability for the Clinton campaign, and one which it refuses to truly respond to the press about.

Four years’ worth of State Department emails from Clinton’s top IT staffer, Bryan Pagliano, can’t be found#Hillary pic.twitter.com/8sK0ym6YLi

— ginny j. (@ncginny) May 10, 2016

Woody Allen’s son not buying into Woody Allen’s innocence amidst abuse allegations

Anyone who’s seen a Woody Allen film would find it hard to believe that the famous director is facing allegations of sexual abuse. How could you, given that no one really talks about it?

But this week, Rowan Farrow, Woody Allen’s estranged son, blasted the film community in a Hollywood Reporter piece for remaining silent and continue to praise Allen, despite the abuse he allgedly inflicted on his daughter. The Hollywood Reporter has since been banned from the Cannes’ Luncheon. What do you think?

Rant Crush

RantCrush collects the top trending topics in the law and policy world each day just for you.

The post RantCrush Top 5: May 12, 2016 appeared first on Law Street.

If there was ever a candidate worthy of a “People Suck” shout out it would be George Zimmerman. Not only did he get off essentially scot free in the shooting death of unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin, but he also proved he’s a pretty worthless human being after using Twitter to brag about it.

Warning: graphic image below.

He recently retweeted a photo of Martin’s dead body sprawled out on his lawn with the caption “Z-man is a one man army.” Twitter officials have since deleted the tweet, but not before screengrabs of the image were taken.

George Zimmerman retweeted a photo of Trayvon Martin’s dead body, appearing to brag about it. http://t.co/uzeLDNeQ4e pic.twitter.com/MBkUw9zcd4

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) September 28, 2015

Zimmerman has made a habit of regularly tweeting/retweeting idiotic pictures and sayings on his Twitter account about race, politics, and Trayvon Martin. However, this tasteless photo in combination with its even more tasteless caption, led most people to believe that Zimmerman was bragging about the shooting. Social media quickly erupted with outrage as people began chastising his actions. Here are some of their comments below:

Maybe someday someone will tweet a picture of George Zimmerman’s dead body. And I won’t mind a bit. — Harold Itzkowitz (@HaroldItz) September 28, 2015

The fact that George Zimmerman killed a child and constantly trolls us about the fact that he got away with it just irks my soul. — The Other Serena (@ReenuhGee) September 28, 2015

George Zimmerman retweeting a pic of Trayvon Martin’s lifeless body is probably the vilest thing I’ve heard of in a while. What a small man. — Toula Drimonis (@ToulasTake) September 27, 2015

Dear @Twitter, please do the world a huge solid and delete George Zimmerman’s account. Signed, Everyone (I wish) #RIPTrayvon @jack — Holly Robinson Peete (@hollyrpeete) September 28, 2015

Zimmerman seemed entirely unfazed by the universe hating him. Rather than apologize, he responded to his most recent scandal with this string of crude tweets:

I wonder when Twitter will take these images down??? pic.twitter.com/avVfhlzkHI — George Zimmerman (@TherealGeorgeZ) September 28, 2015

All media inquiries can be directed to Ms. Micah Williams (360) 628-1467 or (931) 802-8913 or @SonusCarAudio pic.twitter.com/vKYfoOAGWE — George Zimmerman (@TherealGeorgeZ) September 28, 2015

As much as I love owning all you trolls I have to work… On my tan! Tell “Karma” she’s worthless, God protects me. pic.twitter.com/Cz6SFfDiLY — George Zimmerman (@TherealGeorgeZ) September 28, 2015

Sorry Zimmerman, but you have not in fact “owned any trolls.” Instead you act only as a sad reminder of the injustice surrounding Trayvon Martin’s tragic death.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post George Zimmerman Proves He is the Absolute Worst appeared first on Law Street.

George Zimmerman is in the news again after suffering minor injuries in a road rage incident Monday that ended with a shooting. This marks yet another in a long series of run-ins with the law for the former neighborhood watchman since his fatal shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012.

According to CNN, accounts detailing exactly what happened Monday afternoon in Lake May, Florida between Zimmerman and the shooter, Matthew Apperson, differ depending on who you talk to. It’s hard to know which story to believe, especially when both men have a history of confrontations with one another.

Zimmerman’s attorney Don West claims that his client was flagged down by Apperman honking and yelling obscenities at him. When he recognized Apperman, he rolled up his windows and tried to get away, but was followed. That’s when Apperman reportedly pulled up to Zimmerman’s pickup truck window and shot a bullet through it–barely missing his head. Zimmerman was apparently hit by glass from the window, but not the bullet, and only suffered minor injuries.

Man involved in shooting with George Zimmerman acted in “self-defense,” lawyer says http://t.co/vuMHStFkb4 pic.twitter.com/XqBKUUd7Q1

— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 12, 2015

Apperman’s account of what happened is much different. His lawyer claims that his client acted entirely out of self-defense after Zimmerman waved a gun at him first. After shooting through the window he apparently asked a bystander to phone the police for him. This is hardly the first time Zimmerman has been involved in an incident requiring police intervention. So far Zimmerman has amassed a collection of six mugshots, and the reasons for his arrests include shoving an undercover alcohol-control agent, threatening his girlfriend with a shotgun, and throwing a wine bottle at his ex-girlfriend’s head. 

George Zimmerman Mugshot Calendar? http://t.co/mCqOtuQH57 @BlueNationRev It could happen #GeorgeZimmerman #BNRNews pic.twitter.com/Q3aLHjD5OJ — Jill E Bond (@JillEBond) January 13, 2015

When Twitter got word of Zimmerman’s latest police involvement, the reactions to the possibility of him getting shot were unsympathetic at best.

I wish George Zimmerman was shot in his eyes & went blind. Then he couldn’t judge anyone on their color.

— Gary Owen (@garyowencomedy) May 12, 2015

Does anyone know who shot at Zimmerman yet? Was he arrested? Is there a bail fund? Can we throw him a parade? — Cassandra (@CassandraRules) May 12, 2015

George Zimmerman: “I got shot!” Black people: pic.twitter.com/gNBVhH7uSt

— Alex English (@alex3nglish) May 11, 2015

Zimmerman is clearly hurting when it comes to supporters. So far it seems like most people are speculating that the confrontation which led to the incident stemmed from a dispute about the Trayvon Martin case, but neither party wants to fess up. Lake Mary police are continuing to investigate the incident, but as of now neither man has been arrested or charged with any crime.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Road Rage and George Zimmerman: That Can’t End Well appeared first on Law Street.

Here at Law Street, we are very interested in the changing world of law. So as the wild ride that was 2013 comes to an end, I thought it would be fun to count down the biggest changes, innovations, and crazy moments in the world of law and politics this year.

8. George Zimmerman Trial 

What happened: On July 14, 2013, George Zimmerman was found not guilty of the murder of Trayvon Martin. This verdict was understandably met with widespread shock. Some people were angry, some were vindicated, but everyone had an opinion.

Protests like this happened all over the country. Courtesy of Werth Media via Flickr.

Why it matters: Anyone who regularly reads my pieces knows that I’m a big fan of talking. I think, maybe misguidedly, that open dialogue is a great thing and solves 80 percent of problems. And if you’re looking for strong dialogue in 2013, look no further than the debate that occurred immediately after the Zimmerman acquittal. We saw conversations about the implications of stand your ground laws, gun control, and institutionalized racism. Now my hopeless naiveté won’t go so far as to say that these conversations were productive. But they happened, they’ve been introduced, and my dearest hope is that next year I’ll be able to say that we’ve made progress out of the tragedy that was Trayvon Martin’s death.

7. Jeff Bezos Buys the Washington Post 

What happened: Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, bought The Washington Post this summer in a $250 million deal. Now this might seem a little off topic — what does the purchase of a newspaper have to do with law and politics?

Why it matters: The world is changing. Media is changing, and we know this because a multi-billionaire who made his fortune from an internet sales company just bought one of the most influential papers in the country. That’s big because it means our media is getting smarter, it’s gaining control, and the internet is increasingly becoming a one-stop-shop for all we need. Plus, if Amazon follows through on its promises, we might get our newspaper delivered by drones, which would be pretty cool.

I’m mostly really excited about this drone delivery idea, guys.

6. Pope Francis Begins His Papacy

What happened: On March 13, 2013, Pope Francis became the head of the Catholic Church.

Why it matters: He immediately enacted some pretty serious changes. He downgraded the extravagant Vatican facilities. He has been advocating for more inclusive Church policies. He stated, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge them?” He has said that the the Catholic Church needs to stop being so obsessed with social issues. The Pope changing his views on this could push some big changes for American politics. Don’t get me wrong, he is still a Catholic Pope and he is still a conservative man. But he works with the poor and he seems to be a man of the 21st century, and I have to give him props for that.

High Five, Pope Francis.

5. The Manti Te’o Girlfriend Hoax

What happened: This is probably an odd one to put so high on my list, but it was a very, very weird story. A Notre Dame linebacker, who now plays for the San Diego Chargers, told a story about his girlfriend, a Stanford University student named Lennay Kekua who had died of Leukemia. In January 2013, it was discovered that Lennay Kekua never existed. Her relationship with Te’o was purely online. The culprit behind the hoax turned out to be a man named Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, who may have fallen in love with Te’o while pretending to be his fictional girlfriend.

This refers to the online part, not the falling in love part. That part’s slightly less weird.

Why it matters: We’re at the point where a convincing and moving relationship can be forged 100 percent online. I know I’m a millennial who does everything online, but maybe I’m a bad one, because I simply can’t fathom that. I think this marks a big change in our world. Five years ago, if a professional athlete revealed that he had an online relationship with a woman he had never met, it would be completely ridiculous. Now, it was ridiculed, and commentators were surprised, but people understood how it could happen. Online presences can supersede our real lives now, and that’s scary.

4. Dems Detonate “Nuclear Option”

What happened: After a series of failed judicial nominees, Senate Democrats took drastic action. They changed the rules so that federal judicial nominees can move to the confirmation process with a simple majority of Senators, rather than a super majority of 60.

Why it matters: This will fundamentally change the way in which federal judicial nominees are confirmed. It may also permanently change the courts. If Presidents no longer need to pick moderates who can garner a 60-vote confirmation, the courts will get more liberal during a Democratic presidency, or more conservative during a Republican presidency.

3. NSA Spying Scandal

What happened: Although this event started in 2012, it got really big in 2013. Edward Snowden’s release of the extent of NSA monitoring shocked the American public. Snowden has since fled the United States.

The American reaction.

Why it matters: The intersection of politics, law, and technology continues to weave a tangled web, and the NSA scandal was the greatest proof of that phenomenon. We are being watched, and there’s nothing that we can do about it. Comparisons to Big Brother and 1984 were made, but that’s the truth, and people realized that this year. There’s a different level of trust in the government now.

2. The Affordable Care Act Mess

What happened: The rollout of the Affordable Care Act was the biggest mess I’ve seen in a long time. From the government shutdown that preceded it, to the internet issues, to the logistical problems, it was kind of a hot mess.

See another hot mess for context.

Why it matters: The ACA is still in place. It’s not perfect. It has problems. But it’s still a law and despite the Republicans’ best efforts, it will continue. That was an important lesson for everyone to learn this year. We will have hot mess laws and these laws will create problems;  however, they will remain the law. We can fix or repeal them, but we can’t pretend they don’t exist, and we can’t pretend that we can will them away.

1. Gay Rights

What happened: 2013 was a huge year for gay rights. In June, the Supreme Court handed down big successes for federal and state gay marriage rights. Gay marriage became legal in Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Utah, Hawaii and Illinois.

Why it matters: Obviously there’s still a long way to go, but any slow, small steps down the right path are good. Notably conservative states — Utah and New Mexico — even got in on the action, albeit through court-mandated measures.

So here’s to 2013. It was wild, it was weird, and it was revolutionary. I don’t know about you all, but I’m excited to see what 2014 brings.

—

Anneliese Mahoney (@AMahoney8672) is Lead Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

Featured image courtesy of [Sally Mahoney via Flickr]

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post The Most Influential News Events of 2013 appeared first on Law Street.