the bill gives people claiming “self-defense” the presumption of reasonableness for all claims of being in fear of their lives and police aren’t even allowed to detain the killer under the circumstances. missouri alread has one of the more sweeping “stand your ground” laws so, unless one kills a clearly identifiable law enforcement officer, if there are no witnesses to contradict one’s claims of being in fear, there’s quite literally nothing police or prosecutors can do.
Fear for your life because of the laws passed by the Missouri legislature
Act accordingly, as allowed by this law
Organize a bunch of reasonable people to run in the resulting by-elections
Repeal this dumbass law
[Just to be absolutely clear, this is a satirical comment and I am in no way advocating for someone to actually violently hoist these idiots by their own petard.]
Eventually the Missouri Chamber of Commerce will get involved and then the free market will decide:
Missouri - your go-to destination In the contiguous U.S. for murder tourism! Book a secluded cabin today! Firearm rentals come with a single complimentary magazine. No restrictions apply, but murders committed on The Lord’s Day must be biblical in nature. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Reverend Earl’s First Baptist Church of Holy Justice would like to recommend the hammers, timbers, nails and rocks at Earl’s Home, Garden And Gravel stores- “Shop at Earl’s for rocks to hurl! We’ll cruci-fix ya’ right up!”
it hasn’t passed yet, but the fact that it’s already been promoted to the appropriate committee is not a good sign. it makes it seem like this is on a fast track. yeah, like i say-- not good.
This seems like one of those situations where things are obviously going to go badly; you just suspect that you aren’t nearly creative enough to imagine all the ways they will end up going badly.
A situation where it’s de-facto legal for just anyone to kill someone so long as there is nobody to argue that threatening words were not exchanged (while the sort of anarchic violence that a sane legislature would be ashamed of) seems way too evenhanded to be the intended result. Does the upstanding legislature of Missouri really intend to countenance people murdering good ol’ boys in good standing rather than ending up as hate crime statistics; or legalize killing your abusive ex when he comes by with a gun and some loud ideas about biblical headship? That…doesn’t seem like the plan…
I can only assume that some presumptions of innocence will be more innocent than others; I just haven’t wrapped my head around the travesty of justice that the complete implementation will presumably involve.
Yeah, I don’t know. This morning I was willing to see the absurdity of the thing. Now, having spent a goodly chunk of the afternoon catching up on ugly news from the week, I’m more inclined to despair. What a difference a few hours makes.
Maybe that’s what your second comment was getting at.
This is soo broad! What’s going considered premeditated by this measure? Carrying a drill like driller killer going to be ok? Taking the family for a nice weekend of ‘self-defense’? The possibilities are bloody endless.
It’s going to be like cops screaming “Stop resisting!” at suspects they’re choking. Just shout “I’'m in fear of my life!” when you draw your gun and you’re in the clear.
