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June 28, 2012

Study: "Stand Your Ground" Laws Lead to Increased Deaths 
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New research shows states that have passed "Stand Your Ground" laws
— such as the one invoked by George Zimmerman to defend his
killing of Trayvon Martin — have seen more homicides after the
laws were approved. Two doctoral students at Georgia State University
say their findings show up to 7.4 additional people are killed each
month as a result of the law's passage. The research also shows that
states with such laws "have a higher percentage of black population,
[are] more likely to have a Republican governor, higher incarceration
rates and more police officers ... and have a higher poverty rate." The
authors conclude: "Our findings raise serious doubts against the
argument that Stand Your Ground laws make America safer."

 

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