Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has drafted “anti mob” legislation that would expand the state’s Stand Your Ground law, according to The Miami Herald. Critics say the draft could allow armed citizens to use force against suspected looters or people accused of criminal mischief that disrupts a business.
The draft follows DeSantis’ September pledge to crack down on “violent and disorderly assemblies,” which he made after pointing to reports of unrest in other parts of the country following protests over the death of George Floyd.
According to the Herald, the proposal would add to the list of forcible felonies that justify the use of force under Florida’s self defense law, including criminal mischief that interrupts or impairs a business and looting, which the draft defines as burglary within 500 feet of a violent or disorderly assembly.
The draft would also increase penalties for people involved in violent or disorderly assemblies, make blocking traffic during a protest a third degree felony, give immunity to drivers who claim to have unintentionally hurt or killed protesters blocking a road, and withhold state funds from local governments that cut law enforcement budgets.
Denise Georges, a former Miami Dade County prosecutor who handled Stand Your Ground cases, told the Herald the draft “allows for vigilantes to justify their actions.”
The proposal was still a draft at the time of this report and had not become law.
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