The Senate will be taking up the matter of stand your ground laws with planned hearings this fall headed by Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Democrat announced Friday.
The hearings will go forth in the Senate Judiciary subcommittee, and will focus on gun laws that allow citizens the legal right to defend themselves in scenarios where they feel threatened, Politico reported. Dozens of states have laws that are similar to Florida’s stand your ground, a rule that came under scrutiny during the trial of George Zimmerman, who was cleared of murder for the February 2012 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Mr. Durbin will specifically address the role of the National Rifle Association and the American Legislative Exchange Council in helping states draft stand your ground laws, his office said, Politico reported.
Mr. Durbin also wants to fine-tune and clarify the definition of “self defense,” and analyze how stand your ground laws work in conjunction with racial profiling.
An aide told Politico that the witness list will be released in August.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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