Double murder charges dropped against CHL in Florida

[mamabearCali]

This is why we really really need a castle doctrine here in Va. Even with a strong stand your ground, castle doctrine in Florida this poor fellow got drug into court and had to put out some serious dough (most likely) because two thugs wanted to kill him. Happily the judge threw the case out and chewed the prosecutor a new one. What would have happened to this poor man in VA or even worse some other state like NY.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/double- ... fense-law/

[allingeneral]

I like this comment:

it gets a little old having to defend yourself for defending yourself. police and others who bring such charges should have to pay some sort of personal penalty. if they had to be responsible for their actions they might think twice.

Could you imagine if Commonwealth's Attorneys and District Attorneys had to answer up when they wrongly prosecuted someone?

[Jakeiscrazy]

Iffy case sounds like they just couldn't prove anything other than what he said.

[steelerfan]

This case certainly deserved being fully investigated. And maybe the DA thought that a jury should sort it out? I guess I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Had these two been complete strangers I think it would have never gone this far in court. The fact that at least one of the thugs had a previous business deal with the shooter made it more complicated.

[mamabearCali]

I am suspicious of the DA for two reasons #1 the Judge chewed him out #2 he was looking for a death penalty case in a situation that was at minimum murky.

As for them having a previous relationship. My DH and I bought a RV from a private seller 9 months ago. If said private seller comes to a RV park and threatens to kill me why does it matter if we had a previous relationship?

The circumstances are not crystal clear, but what is clear is that his boat was anchored off the shore, a drunk fellow and a high fellow came to either evict him from the boat (throw him off the boat into the water) or kill him. Both of which would have been very much against the law for them to do. So they went to that boat intending to commit a crime against that man (by the testimony of the two dead men's friends), they were drunk/high, and they died in the attempt to commit felonies. That makes what the defendant said happened much more credible.

[mamabearCali]

Was given the actual documents which shed much more light onto the story.

http://www.wpbf.com/download/2011/0912/29160417.pdf

[Jakeiscrazy]

Was given the actual documents which shed much more light onto the story.

http://www.wpbf.com/download/2011/0912/29160417.pdf

That clears it up A LOT thanks. Definitively seems like self defense. Remember the old saying “Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”

[mk4]

here's another one...

"Never tease an old dog; he might have one bite left."
— Robert A. Heinlein (from Time Enough for Love)

...in this case, he had two.

[zephyp]

When are we collectively going to stop defending thugs who seek to do others harm?

And most definitely this is a great reason why we need a clear and comprehensive castle doctrine law in current code here in VA.

VCDL ARE YOU LISTENING?

[steelerfan]

As for them having a previous relationship. My DH and I bought a RV from a private seller 9 months ago. If said private seller comes to a RV park and threatens to kill me why does it matter if we had a previous relationship?

My point was that if a total stranger is in your home, the assumption would be that he is there for no good.

[mamabearCali]

As for them having a previous relationship. My DH and I bought a RV from a private seller 9 months ago. If said private seller comes to a RV park and threatens to kill me why does it matter if we had a previous relationship?

My point was that if a total stranger is in your home, the assumption would be that he is there for no good.

You probably have a point, and it makes a difference if it is my best friend in my house at 1 am or my neighbor(I am going to think she is in terrible trouble and needs help pronto) or if it is the dude I bought my van from. One I have an extensive and long standing relationship with the other it was incidental and brief. In this situation I think we can decisively say it was self defense.

[SHMIV]

I believe that when a judge throws out a case like this, or some other really stupid case, the DA and the arresting officer should be ordered to serve 48 hours of jail time for contempt of court. If it happens again, make it a week. Maybe they'd think twice about this sort of thing.