Judge Ivan F. Hernadez of the Third District Court of Appeal of Florida/photo by J. Albert Diaz
With lower courts split on the issue, the Florida Supreme Court said it will take up a question about whether a 2017 change to the state’s “stand your ground” self-defense law should apply to older cases.
The controversial 2017 change shifted a key burden of proof in “stand your ground” cases, a shift that can play a role in determining whether people claiming self-defense should be shielded from prosecution. But two appellate courts have split about whether the change should apply to defendants who were arrested before the 2017 law took effect but whose cases were pending.
