Jacob Sullum on Why the Trayvon Martin Case Does Not Illustrate the Perils of 'Stand Your Ground' Laws
Ever since George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch organizer, shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed teenager, on a rainy night in February 2012, critics of Florida-style self-defense laws have used the case to illustrate how eliminating the duty to retreat when attacked in public excuses unjustified violence. They are having a hard time letting go, says Senior Editor Jacob Sullum, even though by now it is abundantly clear that the right to stand your ground is not relevant to the question of Zimmerman's guilt.