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California lawmaker calling for Florida boycott

July 19, 2013

Welcome to FloridaA Democratic assemblyman will call for Californians to boycott the state of Florida following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. [Sac Bee]

Chris Holden, of Pasadena, is writing a joint resolution with the backing of the California Legislative Black Caucus calling for Californians not to travel to Florida or do business with the state until it repeals the “stand your ground law” that allowed Zimmerman to claim self-defense in his trial.

A Florida jury found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter Saturday, concluding that Zimmerman acted in self-defense when he shot Martin.

“What might be an appropriate way for us to usher in change would be for us to have a boycott that focuses on the seriousness and importance of looking at this law and making some changes,” Holden said. “We want to encourage those who are traveling and planning vacations and conventions and potential ways of spending dollars in the state to hold back until those changes have been made.”

Holden added that the Zimmerman verdict could create “an open season on vigilante-type justice.”

 


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The boycott won’t work. Fifteen states have laws with language specifically affirming the right to stand your ground. We can’t boycott all of them. And considering that the stand your ground provision is a logical extension of the castle doctrine already enshrined in California law, we would look foolish doing so.


However, Florida’s Section 776.032, providing immunity from criminal prosecution is problematic and should be repealed because, while it allows law enforcement to make an arrest with probable cause, the prosecutor is unlikely to file charges unless the case is a slam dunk. When one of the parties is dead, that’s a big decision for one person to make alone. In other words, any case involving Shoot First is morally questionable and ought to carry the risk of prosecution.


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This is actually a very good addition to what little discussion has been had about all this.


I’d agree that shoot first should carry a risk of prosecution and/or review (which I think theirs does? not sure).


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Sorry, I have some bad news for all white people…. I spoke to a Trayvon supporter who informed me that white people are not privileged to have an opinion, because white people don’t know what it is like to be black. So, For all of you who think this is not about race, it is…. but only for racist people (both black and white). Sure wish we could all be colorblind, then maybe we would all be Americans.


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Wish we could all be thin and smart too!


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Did Stevie Wonder put him up to this?


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Hope the residents of Florida are paying close attention to this. No, lets all go to Africa and spend a 100 million there.


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It appears that Mr. Holden and his Black Caucus really don’t believe in the legal system. They were apparently OK with the trial taking place, but the attitude appears to be “go ahead, give Zimmerman a trial, then hang him”.


I trust Mr. Holden and/or the Black Caucus were in the court room and heard all the evidence so he/they could form a legal opinion (versus an emotional opinion) about the outcome. Either one believes in the legal system in this country, or not. If not, then why not, and what does one replace it with. Lynch mobs? That is exactly what Mr. Holden and the Black Caucus seek.


I really think Mr. Holden’s time would be better spent fixing the violence in his own community. I wonder if he can, from memory, name any young black child that was killed by violence in Pasadena within during the duration of the Zimmerman trial. Not likely.


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Well , I don’t remember hearing them complaining about the justice system after OJ was acquitted, chirp, chirp…


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Misread, thought you said Holder, not Holden.


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Where would this racist be if the the outcome would have been turned around? Trayvon Martin probably would have been declared a hero for protecting himself. I wonder if this Holden is any relation to the other racist Holden that is in Washington?


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Sorry, but the jurors got this one right. And I’ll bet dollars to donuts that there isn’t a civil suit. Evidence and testimony that would be allowed in a criminal trial would mostly be allowed at a civil trial. I seriously doubt that Trayvon’s mother or father want their son’s reputation dragged across the front pages of what now exists as newspapers. Call me racist if you want but I seriously doubt that Mr. Martin was an innocent victim here. For whatever reasons, instead of going home, he decided to ambush Mr. Zimmerman. The “Stand Your Ground” law has no bearing on this case as Zimmerman couldn’t flee if he wanted to. He used his weapon and fired a single shot. That it was fatal is unfortunate but a fact of life that it’s always possible to die attacking someone else.


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He’s using his legislative clout to instigate economic harm … to change a legal law … in a state outside his jurisdiction. Nice.


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Ask Florida to secede from the Union instead. Then we all could. Doesn’t this lawmaker have anything better to do? Like raise taxes?


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