Transforming Law and Order: The Impact of Justifiable Homicide on American Penality

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

From Spring 2012 to the Summer 2013, the American public was captivated by the death of Trayvon Martin. An unarmed teenager walking home in the rain, Martin was shot in the chest by George Zimmerman, who later pleaded self-defense. While Zimmerman was ultimately acquitted of murdering Martin, the case sparked national interest in justifiable homicide: homicides that carry no criminal penalty because they are committed out of “reasonable” fear of major bodily harm, rape or death. Every year in the US, approximately 300 to 400 justifiable homicides occur at the hands of civilians, and in the last 8 years, around two dozen states have expanded the legal ability to kill in self-defense through so-called “Stand Your Ground” laws. This panel looks at the impact of changes in justifiable homicide laws in the US, particularly Stand Your Ground laws, on reshaping the terrain and outcomes of the American criminal justice system.

Sub Unit

• Area IV. Criminal Justice Policy and Practice / 40. Prosecution, Courts and Sentencing

Individual Presentations

• Behavioral Factors in Legal Firearms Usage and Self-Defense - Glenn E. Meyer, Trinity University

• George Zimmerman and the paradox of “community policing” - Kevin Karpiak, Eastern Michigan University

• Whose Right Is It? Exploring Racial and Gender Disparities in the Application of the Stand Your Ground Law to Domestic Violence Cases - Denise N. Crisafi, University of Central Florida

Chair

• Jennifer Carlson, University of Toronto

Discussant

• Jennifer Carlson, University of Toronto