TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Volunteers with the Florida chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement today after the House passed S.B. 128, legislation that would expand Florida’s already lethal Stand Your Ground law. S.B. 128 would flip the burden of proof in pretrial immunity hearings to prosecutors, effectively requiring Stand Your Ground defendants to be convicted twice, once in front of a judge and once in front of a jury. The bill heads next to Governor Rick Scott’s desk.
STATEMENT FROM MICHELLE GAJDA, VOLUNTEER CHAPTER LEADER, FLORIDA CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION:
“The House members who voted for S.B. 128 should be ashamed of themselves. We remain deeply concerned about the possibility of Florida expanding the already-deadly Stand Your Ground law. This expansion would place an enormous burden on our state’s hardworking prosecutors, and further create a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ culture that would threaten the lives of people in our state, especially those in marginalized communities. I am absolutely heartbroken that Governor Scott is expected to sign this dangerous measure instead of listening to the legitimate concerns raised by gun violence survivors and state prosecutors.”