BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — The Stand Your Ground Law — as controversial as some say it is — is a law perfect for discussion and analysis. That’s the idea behind a new course to be offered — starting next week — at FAU:
Florida Atlantic University will offer a course this fall on Stand Your Ground law as an elective within the School of Public Administration in the College for Design and Social Inquiry. The course will take place on Tuesdays, beginning Aug. 27 through Dec. 3, from 7:10 to 10 p.m. at 777 Glades Road, FAU’s Boca Raton campus.
“After the enormous publicity associated with the George Zimmerman trial, we felt that such an important and current issue should be offered as an elective course in the School of Public Administration, Bachelor of Public Safety Administration degree program,” said Richard Mangan, coordinator of the program. “There are approximately 26 states with similar statutes, so the issue has national ramifications.”
The course, taught by adjunct professor Frank de la Torre, is designed to present a current, comprehensive overview of Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. It will start with a discussion concerning how the law was instituted in Florida, and will review Florida cases including Florida Supreme Court cases that have interpreted the controversial Stand Your Ground statute.
Florida Statute 776 will be thoroughly studied including, use of force in defense of person; home protection after the Stand Your Ground statute; as well as the effect of the statute when a person is in a vehicle. The issues of protection of a third party and protection of property as it relates to the Stand your Ground statute also will be discussed, and the effect of a person’s civil liability after granting of Stand Your Immunity also will be reviewed. The proper appellate remedies to be taken if a Stand Your Ground motion is denied will be taught, and the course will ask the question, “Do we need the Stand Your Ground Statute?”
The chief assistant public defender and a felony division supervisor within the Broward County Public Defender’s Office for the past 30 years, de la Torre has tried criminal trials from petit theft to first degree murders, and litigated six Stand Your Ground hearings. He has been an adjunct professor in FAU’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice since 1995.
LOCAL JOURNALISM SUPPORTER.
