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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Does Florida's governor want to apply 'stand your ground' laws against looters and rioters?

Thursday, November 12, 2020

By Christopher Hutton

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YES

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed new legislation expanding provisions of the state's "stand your ground" law, which permits people to use reasonable force (even if deadly) in claimed self-defense. The proposal expands scope to justify the use of force to include the "interruption or impairment" of a business and looting (i.e., burglary within 500 feet of a "violent or disorderly assembly"). “It allows for vigilantes to justify their actions,” a former prosecutor told The Miami Herald, which published a draft of the law.

The bill would also "enhance" criminal penalties applied to violent or disorderly groups.

In Florida (as in at least 25 other states with similar laws) there is no duty to retreat from an attacker in a dwelling or residence in which the self-defendant is lawfully present. Violent acts of self-defense must be proved reasonable and taken out of fear.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Miami Herald: DeSantis pushes expansion of 'stand your ground' law as part of ‘anti-mob’ crackdown

Miami Herald: Draft of proposed Florida legislation expanding 'stand your ground' protections

Tampa Bay Times: Democrats push back on proposal

National Conference of State Legislatures: Self defense and 'stand your ground'

State of Florida: 2020 Florida Statutes—Crimes, justifiable use of force

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Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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About fact briefs published on Gigafact

Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.