Florida sheriffs: Keep "Stand Your Ground" as written
Written by
Jim Turner
News Service of Florida
The Florida Sheriffs Association is no longer neutral on the state's controversial "stand your ground" law.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, the new president of the association, announced Friday that members agreed earlier this week without opposition to support the law "as currently written."
"Our current judicial system is comprised of multiple checks and balances to ensure fair and equitable application of all laws, including 'stand your ground,' " Judd said in a prepared statement.
When the National Rifle Association-backed law was approved in 2005, the association remained neutral on the issue.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Fort Walton Beach Republican who supports "stand your ground" and whose subcommittee will hold a hearing on the law, called it enlightening that a group that "has traditionally been tepid" on the law now "recognizes its value."
"I think they recognize that Florida is a safer place when our citizens don't have a duty to retreat and run," Gaetz said.
The voice vote Tuesday came with 57 of the state's sheriffs in attendance.
No comments:
Post a Comment