This Person is a Member of the US House of Representatives

[Lemur]

Is it really if they "feel" threatened? I thought it was something like "reasonably believes" and only under certain circumstances...

Actual statute:

Fla. Stat. § 776.012. Use of force in defense of person

A person is justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other’s imminent use of unlawful force. However, a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if:

(1) He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony; or[...]

So you must have a reasonable expectation that you will face death or bodily harm. But it's all contingent on your "belief," which is a bit of a lawyer's paradise. And note the "forcible felony" clause, which covers a lot of turf, given how broadly a felony is defined in some jurisdictions.

Nothing in that statute leads me to believe the local prosecutor acted in accordance with the text or spirit of the law, but as others have pointed out, we the public are functioning with incomplete information. It's reasonable to want an investigation and, if appropriate, a trial.

Whacker, Centurion, what can I say? The main thing both of you bothered to say was that Martin was a thug, neither of you could be bothered to link to a primary or even secondary source; you expect everyone to accept your "thug" evaluation at face value. You have nothing to say, apparently, about the law, the circumstances, the shooter, the police or the prosecutor. The sole object of your scorn is the guy who did the dying. And you're shocked, shocked that anyone could interpret that as anything but a cool, logical evaluation of the case. How dare they? The cheek! The nerve!

If your overall point is "we don't know" and "don't rush to judgment," that's great. But you undermine yourselves by jumping on the Thug Train, and having that be the most conspicuous point you make. You want to have a more serious conversation? By all means. Let's.