[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 612 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 612

 Honoring the life of 17-year-old, Trayvon Martin, urging the State of 
Florida and others to repeal the Stand Your Ground law, and admonishing 
  involved parties to pursue full investigations into all homicides, 
            regardless of defenses asserted by the offender.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 30, 2012

    Mr. Cleaver (for himself, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. Hastings of 
Florida, and Ms. Wilson of Florida) submitted the following resolution; 
          which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Honoring the life of 17-year-old, Trayvon Martin, urging the State of 
Florida and others to repeal the Stand Your Ground law, and admonishing 
  involved parties to pursue full investigations into all homicides, 
            regardless of defenses asserted by the offender.

Whereas on February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin, an African-American youth, was 
        horrifically shot and killed while walking from his local 7-Eleven in 
        Sanford, Florida, because he was viewed as ``suspicious'' by George 
        Zimmerman;
Whereas Zimmerman, a self-appointed, untrained neighborhood watch volunteer, 
        admitted to police that he shot Martin in the chest;
Whereas Zimmerman raised a ``self-defense'' claim and Martin, as the deceased 
        victim, was unable to rebut such claim;
Whereas Zimmerman was never charged for the crime and was released by the 
        Sanford Police Department soon thereafter;
Whereas despite the numerous pieces of evidence, including a 911 call made by 
        Zimmerman, Martin's final phone conversation which occurred during the 
        course of the crime, the numerous calls made to 911 by nearby neighbors 
        who heard the incident, and Zimmerman's troubling legal history, the 
        Sanford Police claimed they did not have enough evidence to detain 
        Zimmerman and subsequently released him;
Whereas Zimmerman's unfounded assumptions and racial bias led to the use of 
        deadly force;
Whereas a month after the crime, Zimmerman remains free and still bears a 
        concealed weapons permit and the legal right to carry a gun;
Whereas Trayvon Martin's brutal death and the inconceivable fact that his killer 
        remains free should not be ignored;
Whereas the Sanford Police Department and its Chief, who is on temporary 
        administrative leave while the case is being investigated, have faced a 
        firestorm of criticism over the handling of the shooting;
Whereas this case sets a horrific precedent of vigilante justice and compromises 
        the integrity of the legal system;
Whereas the Department of Justice will investigate all facts and circumstances 
        leading to Trayvon Martin's death and consider Federal criminal 
        prosecution of George Zimmerman based on Federal civil rights statutes;
Whereas over 2,000,000 signatures have been collected on an online petition 
        demanding Zimmerman's arrest and justice for Martin's family;
Whereas Florida's Stand Your Ground law has been criticized by both the legal 
        and law enforcement communities;
Whereas 21 States have passed and implemented Stand Your Ground laws;
Whereas Stand Your Ground laws dramatically and recklessly expand the right of 
        citizens to use deadly force in self-defense, and have been the subject 
        of national scrutiny in the wake of Trayvon Martin's death;
Whereas the Stand Your Ground laws were drafted by organizations, corporations, 
        and individuals that ignored advice from experts explaining that such 
        laws would compromise public safety, disproportionately impact 
        communities of color, and would result in offenders circumventing 
        prosecution;
Whereas an attempted expansion of the Stand Your Ground laws doctrine has 
        resulted in the collaboration of the National Rifle Association (NRA) 
        and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which promotes 
        conservative public policy by affecting change in State legislatures;
Whereas ALEC drafts model legislation for its members to champion and advance in 
        their home States;
Whereas ALEC used Florida's Stand Your Ground law as a template in its push to 
        broaden the Castle Doctrine nationwide; and
Whereas the 2005 passage of Florida's Stand Your Ground law resulted in similar 
        statutes being passed in 16 other States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) admonishes any State, local agency, or official acting 
        to obstruct an open investigation or failing to fully execute 
        their official duties in the investigation of the events 
        surrounding the death of Trayvon Martin;
            (2) condemns all relevant parties for their roles in 
        proposing Stand Your Ground legislation and similar legislation 
        that compromises public safety and the integrity of the 
        prosecutorial system;
            (3) condemns unfounded reliance on Stand Your Ground laws 
        to protect actions that extend far beyond historical use of 
        self-defense;
            (4) urges any State legislature considering Stand Your 
        Ground legislation to reject such proposals; and
            (5) urges the repeal of the Stand Your Ground law in every 
        applicable State, including Florida.
                                 <all>