Stand your ground laws are associated with increases in lethal violence in some states. The Arkansas Prosecuting Attorneys Association changed from opposing the bill in 2019 to a position of neutrality after it was updated to exempt people who are in illegal possession of a weapon or participating in gang activity. Scott Bradley, the executive director of the Arkansas Sheriffs Association, was quoted in the, as saying, HB1059 would encourage individuals to take matters into their own hands rather than avoid confrontation, resulting in many of our citizens being hurt or possibly killed.During debate on the bill in committee, Senator Stephanie Flowers of, ,a Blackwoman, began to speak passionately about the effects of gun violence on theBlack community, using several profanities, and when Senator Alan Clark of. Hutchinson, whohadpreviouslybeenemployed by the National Rifle Association, initially expressed hesitation about the bill, stating that it could have unintended consequences. The Republican governor signed the measure that removes the duty to retreat before deadly force can be used, despite past concerns hes raised about changing the states self-defense law. The only restrictions concerning the lawful use of force and self-defense within the state of Arkansas are those covering said force used during the commission or imminent commission of a crime on the part of the would-be defender. (1) Common carrier means any vehicle used to transport for hire any member of the public; (2) Deadly physical force means physical force that under the circumstances in which it is used is readily capable of causing death or serious physical injury; (3) Dwelling means an enclosed space that is used or intended to be used as a human habitation, home, or residence on a temporary or permanent basis; (4) Minor means any person under eighteen (18) years of age; (A) Occupiable structure means a vehicle, building, or other structure: (i) Where any person lives or carries on a business or other calling; (ii) Where people assemble for a purpose of business, government, education, religion, entertainment, or public transportation; or. In the case of a deadly use of force, the defendant would need to show that deadly force was necessary to prevent serious . Additional support provided by the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation Inc. Code 16-105-502. (B) However, the initial aggressors use of physical force upon another person is justifiable if: (i) The initial aggressor in good faith withdraws from the encounter and effectively communicates to the other person his or her purpose to withdraw from the encounter; and, (ii) The other person continues or threatens to continue the use of unlawful physical force; or. Citizens in Arkansas may use force and self-defense to protect themselves from the unlawful use of force against their person or someone else. George Zimmerman was famously acquitted after he used Floridas stand-your-ground law as a defense against a second-degree murder charge in his 2012 fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager. (B) However, a person is not required to retreat if the person is: (i) Unable to retreat with complete safety; (ii) In the persons dwelling or on the curtilage surrounding the persons dwelling and was not the original aggressor; or, (iii) A law enforcement officer or a person assisting at the direction of a law enforcement officer; or. Code 5-73-120(a) makes it a crime to carry a handgun, knife, or club on or about the person or in a vehicle or otherwise readily available for use with a purpose to attempt to unlawfully employ the handgun, knife, or club as a weapon against a person.. (d) Rules adopted by any state agency for establishing levels of noise allowable in the outdoor atmosphere shall not apply to a sport shooting range exempted from liability under this subchapter. (b) A pregnant woman is justified in using physical force or deadly physical force against another person to protect her unborn child if, under the circumstances as the pregnant woman reasonably believes them to be, she would be justified under 5-2-606 or 5-2-607 in using physical force or deadly physical force to protect herself against the unlawful physical force or unlawful deadly physical force she reasonably believes to be threatening her unborn child. They give people a license to kill, allowing them to shoot first and ask questions later, then claim self-defense. (3) The physical force involved is the product of a combat by agreement not authorized by law. Florida's "stand your ground" law, then you can seek a dismissal of the charges against you. Updated: Feb 23, 2021 / 08:57 PM CST. The list and map below are included as a tool to assist you in validating your information. Code 5-73-103(a)(1), (b)(1) (what constitutes a conviction). As public pressure built, igniting the movement that came to be known as. Ark. I will never SPAM you. Your email address will not be published. legislators in Arkansas attempted to pass a stand-your-ground law in 2019, but the bill (HB 1059) met opposition from the Arkansas Sheriffs Associationand the Arkansas Prosecutors Association. You can justify the use of deadly force if you believe it was absolutely necessary to prevent a violent crime like sexual assault, kidnapping, murder, or robbery. ***, AN ACT CONCERNING THE DEFENSE OF A PERSON WITH THE, USE OF PHYSICAL FORCE OR DEADLY PHYSICAL FORCE; AND. (iStockphoto) A "stand your ground" law states that a person may use deadly force in self-defense without the duty to . SB99 would change the law governing health insurance, prescription drugs and the authority of physicians. (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to limit civil liability except in the limited case of noise pollution. for which the person has been granted a pardon explicitly restoring the ability to possess a firearm, Ark. (c) The justification for using physical force or deadly physical force against another person to protect a pregnant womans unborn child is not available if: (1) The the use of the physical force or deadly physical force for protection was used by a person other than the pregnant woman; or. Code 5-27-210. Code 5-73-309(5) makes any person convicted of a felony ineligible for a concealed carry license, but this does not apply to an applicant who has been granted a pardon by the governor or the President of the United States explicitly restoring his or her ability to possess a firearm; or an applicant sentenced prior to March 13, 1995, where the record of conviction has been sealed or expunged under Arkansas law; or to an applicant whose offense was dismissed and sealed or expunged under 16-93-301 et seq. (B) Any sexual conduct between family or household members, whether minors or adults, that constitutes a crime under the laws of this state. On March 3, 2021, Governor Asa Hutchinson signed into law Act 250, a so-called "stand-your-ground" bill. The 277 vote in the Senate for the bill on January 19, 2021, largely split along party lines, with allDemocratsvoting against it and all Republicans supporting it, save Jim Hendren, who later left the Republican Party. Almost always, police and prosecutors will err on the side of caution. Arkansas allows restoration of firearm rights lost due to a criminal conviction. Asa Hutchinson said he will sign a controversial 'stand your ground' bill into law on Wednesday. A local unit of government shall not enact any ordinance or regulation pertaining to, or regulate in any other manner, the ownership, transfer, transportation, carrying, or possession of firearms, ammunition for firearms, or components of firearms, except as otherwise provided in state or federal law. According to Stand Your Ground laws and other self-defense laws, if you harm, threaten, or even kill another person and do so in a reasonable manner, you may be justified in doing so. You do not have to retreat or back down if you feel a threat of bodily harm while in your car, home, or place of work. Code 14-16-504(b)(2) and 14-54-1411(b)(2), local units of government are specifically restricted from suing and seeking damages or other relief against any firearm or ammunition manufacturer, trade association, or dealer resulting from or relating to the lawful design, manufacture, marketing, or sale of firearms or ammunition to the public. (b) A person who operates or uses a sport shooting range is not subject to an action for nuisance, and no court of the state may enjoin the use or operation of a range on the basis of noise or noise pollution, if the range is in compliance with noise control ordinances of units of local government that applied to the range and its operation at the time the range was constructed and began operation. There is no evidence that stand your ground (SYG) laws have improved public safety by deterring violent crime. Hutchinson signed the bill into law on Wednesday, March. What does "stand your ground" mean? It's very important to remember that stand your ground and castle doctrine laws vary from state to state. The license is valid throughout the state for 5 years from the date of issuance. Code 5-73-103(b)(3). In the states that didn't have . (AP) Arkansas Gov. When he signed the bill into law, he did state his hope that legislators would then take up the proposed hate crimes bill that had been lingering in the, Monk, Ginny, and John Moritz. , the sponsor of the 2019 bill,filed SB 24, which stipulated that: A person is justified in using physical force upon another person to defend himself or herself or a third person from what the person reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force by that other person, and the person may use a degree of physical force that he or she reasonably believes to be necessary. The bill did specify that the person was only permitted to use physical forcewhilelawfully present in thelocation in question and generally not engaged in any criminal activity. The new stand your ground law removes the "duty to retreat" before using deadly force in self-defense. Arkansas: Stand Your Ground Legislation Could be Heard as Early as Tomorrow! Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. "Stand Your Ground" policy removes a duty to retreat before a would-be victim can use deadly force to defend against the imminent threat of death or great bodily injury. So, Stand Your Ground law has the potential to make a self-defender's actions easier to defend in this single regard as it removes the obligation to retreat from a threat. App. (6) Is not engaged in any activity in furtherance of a criminal gang, organization, or enterprise as defined in 5-74-103. "For a man's house is his castle, and each man's home is his safest refuge.". This billeliminated the duty to retreatprior to the use of physical force, even lethal force,in an act of alleged self-defense. The bill only affects wet counties, because liquor stores could only make deliveries in the same county in which they are located. 11250 Waples Mill Rd. A machine gun is defined as a weapon of any description by whatever name known, loaded or unloaded from which more than five shots or bullets may be rapidly, or automatically, or semi-automatically discharged from a magazine, by a single function of the firing device. March 28, 2012, at 5:25 p.m. Are 'Stand Your Ground' Laws a Good Idea? See the section on "Carrying," below. However, that opposing Republican, state Sen. John Cooper, R-Jonesboro, lost his primary during the 2020 election cycle to a state representative who had the backing of the National Rifle Association. It passed by a vote of 19-to-9, with seven senators not voting. Thanks to the aforementioned bill being signed by the governor into law, Arkansas citizens now enjoy uniformly excellent protection concerning the just use of force in self-defense. Creating an account gives you access to all these features. (iii) That is customarily used for overnight accommodation of a person whether or not a person is actually present. For example, an armed robber cannot shoot someone during the robbery and then claim they were defending themselves. State law prohibits carrying a handgun with the ", purpose to attempt to unlawfully employ the handgun as a weapon against a person;" Ark. Code 5-73-103(b)(2). A review of gun death statistics by the. This law was reconfirmed by the state's Attorney General in July 2013, just before Arkansas changed it's law on concealed carry of a hand gun. A number of new laws took effect Wednesday in Arkansas. Ark. The National Rifle Association applauds Arkansas Gov. Stand Your Ground bill Following a more than three-hour long debate, members of the House Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday (Feb. 2) against SB 24 - a proposal to end the duty to retreat when using physical or deadly force. The Arkansas governor spoke about the legislation during a "Pen and Pad" session in his office with reporters. This does not prevent a local unit of government from bringing suit against a firearm or ammunition manufacturer or dealer for breach of contract or warranty as to firearms or ammunition purchased by the local unit of government. 72201. 1A, 5A. Watch on. However, there is an iteration of a stand your ground law called the "castle doctrine" that affects self-defense cases. The law applies if you are in or on your property, such as your . The licensee must carry the license, or an electronic copy of the license in an "acceptable electronic format," together with valid identification, at any time when the licensee is carrying a concealed handgun. The measure, Senate Bill 24, passed through both chambers of the Arkansas legislature after first failing to make it through the committee process earlier in the session. The following day, the full House passed the bill, sending it on to Governor Hutchinson. The controversial new law, signed by Ohio Gov. The Arkansas State Senate passed a 'Stand Your Ground' bill, which removed a duty to retreat from an attacker if possible and expanded a current self-defence law to apply to areas outside. Pursuant to Ark. Online athttps://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/feb/23/stand-your-ground-bill-passes-house-committee-2nd-/ (accessed June 5, 2021). Stand-Your-Ground Explained. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Stand-Ground Bill Now Law.Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, March 4, 2021, pp. We have made every effort to report the information correctly, however reciprocity and recognition agreements are subject to, change. Republicans in the Arkansas Legislature have introduced a "stand-your-ground" self-defense bill for consideration this session after past efforts failed. (2) Unborn child means the offspring of human beings from conception until birth. Supporters have said the bill is needed to give further legal protection to people who defend themselves, though opponents note state law previously allowed the use of deadly force without retreating in some situations. However, on December 23, 2020, Senator Bob BallingerofOzark (Franklin County)and Representative Aaron PilkingtonofClarksville(Johnson County), the sponsor of the 2019 bill,filed SB 24, which stipulated that: A person is justified in using physical force upon another person to defend himself or herself or a third person from what the person reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force by that other person, and the person may use a degree of physical force that he or she reasonably believes to be necessary. The bill did specify that the person was only permitted to use physical forcewhilelawfully present in thelocation in question and generally not engaged in any criminal activity. Please note that the above is not a comprehensive summary as the state law on prohibited places for carrying handguns and other firearms is complex. 1B, 6B. A review of gun death statistics by theArkansas Democrat-Gazettein 2021 found that, in all but one of Arkansass neighboring states, the number of people killed in shootings increased following approval of stand-your-ground legislation, in some cases by double-digit percentages; the one exception was Texas. The defensive force used must be proportional to the threat, but includes deadly force if called upon. Stand-Your-Ground Laws: For a Man's House is His Castle. Code 5-73-120(a). The bill would allow patients to be exempt from protocols if the protocols cause the patient to not receive the most appropriate treatment. In addition, Ark. Assemb., Reg. Proponents of the bill could not provide evidence that anyone in the state had ever been prosecuted for acting in self-defense, and the castle doctrine, which permits physical self-defense when on ones property(in ones house or car), already covered a wide range of possibilities for the use of force in self-defense. All rights reserved. This project is funded in part by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan grant award. A stand your ground law is typically Incorporated into a state's statutes governing the use of force in self-defense, . Updated: Mar 3, 2021 / 03:59 PM CST. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. (c) A person who uses or threatens to use physical force as otherwise permitted under this subchapter does not have a duty to retreat before using or threatening to use the physical force if the person is: (2) Not engaged in criminal activity that gives rise to the need to use physical force; and. Criminal defense lawyers often turn to the stand your ground law when defending clients who have been in a physical conflict. Code 14-16-501, the governing body of a suburban improvement district (as defined) may ask a county to regulate, by ordinance, the discharge of firearms and the shooting of archery equipment within all or any part of the suburban improvement district. 21 SECTION 2. This section discusses some circumstances under which a person may use deadly force to defend themselves or others. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Such laws, often called shoot first laws by their critics, have been highly controversial, being linked in some studies to increased murder rates inthose states that passed them. Ultimately, the bill stalled in committee after a single Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee joined with the committee's three Democrats to vote against the measure. Use of physical force in defense of a person. Each of Arkansass neighboring states passed such legislation years beforeArkansasdid. Arkansas Code 5-2-615 is amended to read as follows: 5-2-615. For more information, contact 501-918-3025 orcalsfoundation@cals.org. Arkansas law wont take effect until 90 days after the Legislature adjourns this years session. Ark. Hutchinson, whohadpreviouslybeenemployed by the National Rifle Association, initially expressed hesitation about the bill, stating that it could have unintended consequences. This billeliminated the duty to retreatprior to the use of physical force, even lethal force,in an act of alleged self-defense. Supporters of the bill initially threatened to extract the bill from committee, a maneuver that would have required two-thirds of House members to assent, but instead Rep. Pilkington offered an amendment to the bill removing the requirement that someonebe lawfully present. With the amendment, people would be allowed to shoot someone (in alleged self-defense) even in places where guns were legally prohibited. Feb 3, 2021 LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Arkansas State Police:http://www.asp.state.ar.us/divisions/rs/rs_chl_law.html#rec. "Stand your ground" applies in situations in which a person has a clear reason to believe he or she is about to be the victim of serious violence, but there are some limitations defined under the. LITTLE ROCK The Senate passed legislation known as the Stand Your Ground bill, which would allow someone to use deadly force to defend themselves against an aggressor. Staff of the CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Republicans in the Arkansas Legislature have introduced a "stand-your-ground" self-defense bill for consideration this session after past efforts failed. Asa Hutchinson signed controversial stand-your-ground self-defense legislation into law Wednesday, after the measure passed with. (a) When a person believes that the use of physical force is necessary for any purpose justifying that use of physical force under this subchapter but the person is reckless or negligent either in forming that belief or in employing an excessive degree of physical force, the justification afforded by this subchapter is unavailable in a prosecution for an offense for which recklessness or negligence suffices to establish a culpable mental state. (Ark. Arkansas has long enjoyed robust laws protecting citizens who are forced to defend themselves against attack, but only very recently has the law been amended to include full stand your ground protections. Review Looks at States Rates of Gun Deaths; Most of Arkansas Neighbors Saw Rise after Laws Passage., https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/feb/22/review-looks-at-states-rates-of-gun-deaths/, Moritz, John. Use of deadly physical force in defense of a person. A spokeswoman said Dec. 23 Hutchinson hadnt yet read or taken a position on the new version. This principle has been codified and expanded by state legislatures. Sources: Arkansas Code Annotated 5-73-101 through 5-73-402. The stand your ground statute grants any "person" who uses or threatens to use force permitted by 776.012, 776 . The Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare and Labor endorsed SB 99, which would regulate step therapy protocols. What has happened in the past with Arkansas stand-your-ground legislation? (1) Curtilage means the land adjoining a dwelling that is convenient for residential purposes and habitually used for residential purposes, but not necessarily enclosed, and includes an outbuilding that is directly and intimately connected with the dwelling and in close proximity to the dwelling; and, (A) Physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the infliction of fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury, or assault between family or household members; or. With the recent passage of Senate Bill 24, there is no longer any duty or obligation to attempt retreat under any circumstances so long as the use of defensive force is justified under the amended statutes. However, they do not have enough votes to block the legislation without getting some Republicans to join them. (B) Occupiable structure includes each unit of an occupiable structure divided into a separately occupied unit; (A) Any bodily impact, restraint, or confinement; or. An amendment to 14-16-504(c)(1) in 2011 deleted an exception for emergencies and now reads: The governing body of a local unit of government, following the proclamation by the Governor of a state of emergency, is prohibited from enacting an emergency ordinance regulating the transfer, transportation, or carrying of firearms or components of firearms. A person who has his or her firearm seized in violation of this prohibition may bring an action in the circuit court having jurisdiction for the return of the seized firearm. This story is a part of The Article, your guide to Arkansas news and culture, presented by the Democrat-Gazette. Res. The Duty to Retreat Use of Reckless or Negligent Force. (b) A person may not use deadly physical force in self-defense if the, person knows that he or she can avoid the necessity of using deadly physical. (Unsure how a bill becomes a law. FAIRFAX, Va. -- The National Rifle Association applauds Arkansas Gov. Admin. Read our Privacy Policy. Required fields are marked *. 3:17. SB 116 would abolish the Board of Trustees of Henderson State and vest its duties to the Board of Trustees of the ASU System. Patients and their physicians could ask for an exemption from the protocol, and the process of getting an exemption must be clear, readily accessible and convenient. A. Common-Law Self Defense. In 2017, Arkansas created a license endorsement. A licensee who completes a separate training course approved by the Director of the Division of Arkansas State Police and receives the endorsement is eligible to carry a concealed handgun in otherwise restricted places, including certain publicly-owned buildings or facilities under Ark. Judiciary Committee was held on January 13, 2021. The stand your ground defense is also known as the Castle Doctrine. "A person who uses or threatens to use physical . This firearm prohibition does not apply to a conviction: Ark. The Senate also approved SB 32, which would allow liquor stores to deliver alcoholic beverages to a customers home.