'Stand your ground' bill set for final House approval (Pennsylvania)

[shadowrider]

HARRISBURG -- The state House today is expected to give final approval to so-called "stand your ground" legislation, a self-defense bill that gun advocates have pushed unsuccessfully for six years.

With broad bipartisan support, the House gave preliminary approval Monday to the legislation, also known as the "Castle Doctrine" extension bill. It was approved by a 156-41 margin.

Under the Castle Doctrine, people are permitted to defend themselves with deadly force without retreat in their homes. Outside the home, retreat -- taking steps away from the assailant -- is required to shoot in self-defense.

The legislation would extend the Castle Doctrine to a person's porch, yard, car or any place someone is "lawfully allowed to be," said Rep. Scott Perry, R-York County, the bill's sponsor.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_702736.html

[Glassunion]

1. Jeezee Pete!!

Post has been up for 30 seconds and the recs are already into the red...

[shadowrider]

2. And they don't have the cajones to put up a post saying they un'rec'd either n/t

[SteveM]

9. Descend like mosquitoes from a stagnant N. Florida pond.

[old mark]

3. Good...it is about time this passed.. I think a few of the democrats finally got the message

and voted for it.
I live in PA and have been pushing for this for years...we had a law very close to this, but it was pretty discretionaly - this gives clear rights to residents defending their homes and families.
It's about time.
Rec'd...at least you got 1.


mark

[ManiacJoe]

4. Text of the bill:

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&sessYr=2009&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=0040&pn=3799

... assuming I found the right one.

[lawodevolution]

5. Rec

Still in the red.

[spin]

6. Why should you have to retreat on the street?

Florida’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ Law:

The Florida law is a self-defense, self-protection law. It has four key components:

* It establishes that law-abiding residents and visitors may legally presume the threat of bodily harm or death from anyone who breaks into a residence or occupied vehicle and may use defensive force, including deadly force, against the intruder.

* In any other place where a person “has a right to be,” that person has “no duty to retreat” if attacked and may “meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.”

* In either case, a person using any force permitted by the law is immune from criminal prosecution or civil action and cannot be arrested unless a law enforcement agency determines there is probable cause that the force used was unlawful.

* If a civil action is brought and the court finds the defendant to be immune based on the parameters of the law, the defendant will be awarded all costs of defense
http://www.cfif.org/htdocs/freedomline/current/in_our_opinion/florida-self-defense-law.htm

If some fool walks up to me and draws a knife or points a firearm at me and I seriously believe that he intends to harm or kill me, I don't want to be required to take several steps backward. While I am busy doing this he may stab or shoot me.

After all, I am in a place where I have a right to be. Why should I have to retreat?

Castle Doctrine is fine but "Stand your Ground" is better by far.

[X_Digger]

7. +1 n/t

[proteus_lives]

8. Hope it passes.

[Glassunion]

10. It passed the house

Now off to the Senate. Yay!