Washington, DC) – The NAACP submitted testimony to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights regarding impact of “Stand Your Ground” laws.
“The NAACP is staunchly opposed to “Stand Your Ground” laws,” said Shelton in his testimony. “They are applied in a racially biased manner, and the bottom line is, as we saw in Sanford, FL, that they make it easier for people to murder other human beings and not face any legal consequence. As such eviscerating any deterrent to gun related homicides, and even providing a road map to getting out of jail scot-free.”
In light of the tragic death of Trayvon Martin and the overwhelming national awareness around numerous issues surrounding this case, the NAACP developed a set of state policy principles called “Trayvon’s Law” which embody legislative responses that will greatly reduce the likelihood of another tragedy like the killing of Trayvon Martin. A key principle of Trayvon’s Law is repealing “Stand Your Ground” laws.
