Agreed. Zimmerman, as anyone relying on "Stand Your Ground", should face some sort of penalties for using the law as it was not intended. The Florida justice system has set up a poor precedent here. Based on this case, anyone feeling threatened, even if they acted as an aggressor, may use deadly force. A middle-aged neighborhood watch member packing heat should always have some skin in the game before he/she faces similar confrontation. I believe if Zimmerman had knowledge of possible penalties (jail time/fines) for improperly applying "Stand Your Ground" beforehand, it's likely we would have never heard of him or Trayvon Martin. He would have already thought out better ways to avoid using his weapon. Florida makes it entirely too easy for someone jacked up on endorphins to "feel threatened" and end the life of another human being.
Zimmerman did not use "stand your ground" in his defense. Case law for self defense is pretty well established in every state - and differs. http://rochester.ynn.com/content/top_stories/490926/jury-fin.../ Ten seconds on Bing and I find a black man in 2008 acquitted by a jury for shooting a young white guy. It's not an uncommon thing. -XC
That is a highly interesting case for this discussion. Thanks for digging it up. It looks like there are a few key differences... Scott approached boys in the process of committing a crime. Zimmerman approached a boy in the process of walking home. But still and interesting case and comparison.