The Oklahoma Stand Your Ground law is intended to provide you protection from an attacker, even if the attacker ends up dead. The law is widely misunderstood and misinterpreted, however. Unfortunately, if you were to mistake a circumstance as a “stand your ground” situation, you could find yourself facing murder charges. An Oklahoma U.S. Law Shield attorney can help protect your rights in court if the circumstances fall under the Stand Your Ground law, though.
What Does the Stand Your Ground Law Mean?
Without this law in place, citizens are expected to retreat from situations, rather than using deadly force. However, this is not always possible. In basic terms, the Stand Your Ground law means that you can use deadly force against an attacker. There are certain circumstances that must be in place for this law to take effect. Firstly, you must reasonably believe that you, or someone else, face great bodily harm or imminent death. You must also be somewhere you have the legal right to be.
Stand Your Ground Case Examples
Most people are aware of the Stand Your Ground law due to the nationwide coverage that occurred when George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin. The jury found George Zimmerman not guilty of murder according to Florida statute 776.013 because he had a right to be where he was, he was not engaged in illegal activity, and he reasonably believed that Martin was trying to commit a felony and would cause him bodily harm or death, all requisites of the Stand Your Ground law.
In Oklahoma, the Stand Your Ground law was upheld when Jeffrey Dorrell, 40, shot and killed 17-year-old Frederick Stuever. Dorrell found Stuever leaving Dorrell’s father’s home with stolen property in hand and held Stuever at gunpoint while contacting the police. Dorrell, who had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, fired five shots when Stuever did not comply, but none of the shots hit Stuever. It was when Stuever allegedly charged at Dorrell that Dorrell fired the fatal shot. Witnesses backed up Dorrell’s account of the story, as well as the facts that the back door had been kicked in and some of the family’s property was found in Stuever’s car.
Contact A Strong Legal Representative
Nobody can predict whether or not they will face a Stand Your Ground situation in their lifetime. All we can do is hope that we never have to make life and death decisions and protect ourselves from attackers. Our Oklahoma law firm understands the intricacies of the law, and helps to represent those who have acted under the U.S. Law Shield Program to protect themselves. Contact the Robles Law Firm or call 405-232-7980 today for a consultation.
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