Eric Holder Calls for End of "Stand Your Ground' Laws

Though they had nothing to do with Zimmerman case

Attorney General Eric Holder Tuesday called for an end of so-called "Stand Your Ground" laws, warning they can encourage violent situations like the deadly altercation between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin and represent a threat to public safety.

"It's time to question laws that senselessly expand the concept of self-defense and sow dangerous conflict in our neighborhoods," Holder was expected to tell the NAACP convention in Orlando Tuesday, according to a copy of his prepared remarks obtained by Buzzfeed. "These laws try to fix something that was never broken."

Holder said his comments about Stand Your Ground and other laws that expand the definition of the self-defense protection are "separate and apart" from the Martin case, but the doctrine has become a focus for critics outraged by the initial handling of Martin's death by authorities.