Fathers of 'Stand Your Ground' Law Say Zimmerman Should Be Arrested

The law they made wasn't to protect vigilantes

Two Florida lawmakers responsible for passing the controversial “stand your ground” law, say the man responsible for shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin should not get a free pass.

Under the “stand your ground” law, a person who claims he was acting in self-defense can be immune from arrest. But, the release of 911 tapes reveal that George Zimmerman -- the man responsible for shooting Trayvon Martin -- overstepped his boundaries.

The sponsors of the law, Former state Sen. Durell Peaden and current state Rep. Dennis Baxley (pictured above), say Zimmerman might have lost his rights of immunity because he proceeded to trail the victim even though 911 dispatchers said, “we don’t need you to do that.”

The law is one reason Zimmerman has not been arrested.

Despite public scrutiny and the lawmakers’ opinions, there’s still a chance Zimmerman could avoid an arrest or a conviction if he were charged because the law gives broad protections to those who claim they had reason to be afraid and to use deadly force.

The 911 tapes released last week strongly suggest Martin was a victim of racial profiling. But the law continues to protect Zimmerman.

Baxley said the law isn’t the problem. “It’s the 'application' of the law that’s at issue,” he said.

If anything needs to be changed in law, Baxley said, it’s making sure that crime-watch captains aren’t acting like armed vigilantes.

“If you want to pass something, pass something that limits their ability to pursue and confront people,” Baxley said.

Both men say they don’t know all the facts of Martin’s case. But, they say they believe the law would not allow a person like George Zimmerman to pursue and confront a person like Trayvon and then use deadly force.