Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Friday signed into law important self-defense legislation enhancing the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law.
SB 128, by Sen. Rob Bradley and Rep. Bobby Payne, has also been called the “Burden of Proof” bill because it restores the presumption of innocence in self-defense cases by putting the burden of proof back on the state, where it belongs.
According to NRA-ILA, over the years since the state’s original “Stand Your Ground” law was passed, prosecutors and judges, with no legislative authority, created a special “Stand Your Ground” hearing and reversed the burden of proof from the state to the victim. Through case law, they changed a legislative law they didn't like.
The new law, signed by Gov. Scott, reverses this judicial activism and will help prevent the all-too-common occurrence of individuals who lawfully exercised their right to self-defense being forced to immediately defend themselves again in court. The new law took effect immediately upon signing.
