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Articles by Caroline E. Light
The Trump Administration Is Promoting the “Good Guy With a Gun” Lie at Just the Right Time
Jurisprudence By Mary Bernstein, John J. Donohue, and Caroline E. Light Oct 21, 20263:36 PM Silver Rail Elementary. Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images Sign up for Executive Dysfunction, a weekly newsletter that highlights one under-the-radar story about how Trump is changing the law—or how the law is pushing back—and keeps you posted on the latest from Slate’s Jurisprudence team.
They Stood Their Ground in Florida. They’re Charged With Murder. Guess Their Race. Original
Jurisprudence By David DesRoches , Caroline E. Light , and Bob Schlehuber Aug 11, 20264:44 PM Al Diaz/Adiaz@Miamiherald.Com/Miami Herald via ZUMA Press Wire Sign up for Executive Dysfunction, a newsletter that highlights one under-the-radar story each week about how Trump is changing the law—or how the law is pushing back. You’ll also receive updates on the latest from Slate’s Jurisprudence team.
Do Trans People Have “Stand Your Ground” Rights? Wyoming’s Answer May Be “No.”
Last September, Ríhanna Kelver was standing outside the Crowbar & Grill in Laramie, Wyoming, preparing to start her bartending shift, when she noticed a group of men across the street. One of them was shouting in her direction, and Kelver heard several homophobic and transphobic slurs as he began approaching her. Moments later, according to court testimony and surveillance footage, the man shoved Kelver to the ground hard enough to injure her tailbone.
Do Trans People Have “Stand Your Ground” Rights? Wyoming’s Answer May Be “No.” Original
Last September, Ríhanna Kelver was standing outside the Crowbar & Grill in Laramie, Wyoming, preparing to start her bartending shift, when she noticed a group of men across the street. One of them was shouting in her direction, and Kelver heard several homophobic and transphobic slurs as he began approaching her. Moments later, according to court testimony and surveillance footage, the man shoved Kelver to the ground hard enough to injure her tailbone.
Don't let them tell you that was self-defense. Original
Jurisprudence A demonstrator protests outside of the Whipple federal building on January 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Y Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Early Saturday morning in downtown Minneapolis, 37-year-old Alex Pretti was killed by federal agents in full public view.
Florida’s Expanding Gun Laws Are Making Everyday Encounters More Dangerous
A March for Our Lives rally against gun violence on the National Mall on June 11, 2022. The March For Our Lives movement was spurred by the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in 2018. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) This article is republished from The Conversation; read the original article, “Florida’s new open carry ruling combines with ‘stand your ground’ to create new freedoms—and new dangers.” Twenty years ago, Florida Gov.
On Nov. 17, Boone County prosecutor Kent Eastwood filed voluntary manslaughter charges against Curt Andersen, who shot and killed Maria Florinda Ríos Pérez as she tried to enter the front door of his home in Whitestown, Indiana. Ríos Pérez and her husband were part of a house cleaning crew, and a scheduling mistake sent them to the wrong address, where they tried – unsuccessfully – to open a locked door with the key to another home. Harmless mistakes like hers are common.
Stand your ground laws turn innocent mistakes deadly | Opinion Original
Dec. 9, 2025, 6:05 a.m. ET On Nov. 17, Boone County prosecutor Kent Eastwood filed voluntary manslaughter charges against Curt Andersen, who shot and killed Maria Florinda Ríos Pérez as she tried to enter the front door of his home in Whitestown, Indiana. Ríos Pérez and her husband were part of a house cleaning crew, and a scheduling mistake sent them to the wrong address, where they tried – unsuccessfully – to open a locked door with the key to another home.
Wrong address, deadly outcome. This is stand your ground law. | Opinion Original
Harmless mistakes like hers are common. People take wrong turns, mix up house numbers or try the wrong key. Increasingly, the penalty for these everyday mistakes is death. Andersen told police he thought someone was breaking in. He quickly hired Guy Relford, the self-styled “Gun Guy” known for defending shooters who invoke self-defense. His team is pointing to Indiana Code 35-41-3-2, better known as the "stand your ground law," to justify Andersen’s firing through his front door.
Florida’s new open carry law combines with ‘stand your ground’ to create new freedoms - and new dangers
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Commentary: Mix of open carry and stand your ground puts Florida in danger
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Twenty years ago, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush signed the first “stand your ground” law, calling it a “good, commonsense, anti-crime issue.” The law’s creators promised it would protect law-abiding citizens from prosecution if they used force in self-defense. Then-Florida state Rep.
Florida’s new open carry ruling combines with ‘stand your ground’ to create new freedoms - and new dangers
By Caroline Light, Senior Lecturer on Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, Harvard University Twenty years ago, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush signed the first “stand your ground” law, calling it a “good, common-sense, anti-crime issue.” The law’s creators promised it would protect law-abiding citizens from prosecution if they used force in self-defense. Then-Florida state Rep. Dennis Baxley, who cosponsored the bill, claimed – in the wake of George… Read complete article © The Conversation -
Florida's new open carry law brings new rights -- and new dangers
JSO: Man seen working on building rooftop, found dead on ground A man is dead after Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said he fell off of the roof of a two-story commercial building he was working on. The man was last …
Florida’s new open carry law combines with ‘stand your ground’ to create new freedoms - and new dangers
By Caroline Light, Senior Lecturer on Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, Harvard University Twenty years ago, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush signed the first “stand your ground” law, calling it a “good, common-sense, anti-crime issue.” The law’s creators promised it would protect law-abiding citizens from prosecution if they used force in self-defense. Then-Florida state Rep. Dennis Baxley, who cosponsored the bill, claimed – in the wake of George… Read complete article © The Conversation -
Florida’s new open carry law combines with ‘stand your ground’ to create new freedoms - and new dangers Original
Twenty years ago, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush signed the first “stand your ground” law, calling it a “good, common-sense, anti-crime issue.” The law’s creators promised it would protect law-abiding citizens from prosecution if they used force in self-defense. Then-Florida state Rep.
Florida’s new open carry ruling combines with ‘stand your ground’ to create new freedoms - and new dangers
Twenty years ago, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush signed the first “stand your ground” law, calling it a “good, common-sense, anti-crime issue.” The law’s creators promised it would protect law-abiding citizens from prosecution if they used force in self-defense. Then-Florida state Rep.
Florida’s new open carry law combines with ‘stand your ground’ to create new freedoms - and new dangers
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Florida’s new open carry ruling combines with ‘stand your ground’ to create new freedoms - and new dangers
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Florida’s new open carry law combines with ‘stand your ground’ to create new freedoms - and new dangers
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) kAmW%wt r~}'t#$p%x~}X %H6?EJ J62CD 28@[ u=@C:52 v@G] y63 qFD9 D:8?65 E96 7:CDE “DE2?5 J@FC 8C@F?5” =2H[ 42==:?8 :E 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?34?6HD]4@>^:5^H3?2fc__`hb=Qm“8@@5[ 4@>>@?\D6?D6[ 2?E:\4C:>6 :DDF6k^2m]”k^Am kAm%96 =2H’D 4C62E@CD AC@>:D65 :E H@F=5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^AF3=:4:?E68C:EJ]@C8^65F42E:@?^?C2\AFD965\DE2?5\J@FC\8C@F?5\=2HD\24C@DD\E96\?2E:@?^QmAC@E64E =2H\23:5:?8...
These Cases Prove It: The Castle Doctrine Is a Racist Lie
Jurisprudence Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Randall Adjessom was only 16 when he was awakened in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2023, by the sound of someone breaking into the Mobile, Alabama, home he shared with his grandmother, his aunt, and three of his sisters.
America’s top gun-control group is teaching people how to use guns.
Jurisprudence Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. September was another brutal month for gun violence in America. Mass shootings and politically motivated violence dominated headlines. Amid the noise of outrage and panic, a quieter shift was occurring within the gun-violence prevention movement. On Sept.
Constitutional Carry Law Promoted by Donald Trump Would Allow People to Carry Guns Everywhere Without Permits
Despite these accomplishments, gun violence recently surpassed auto accidents as the number one killer of American children, reminding us that we still have a long way to go. But as soon as President Trump took office this year, he effectively eliminated the Office of Gun Violence Prevention by an executive order entitled “Protecting Second Amendment Rights,” exalting "a right to keep and bear arms” as the most important right held by Americans.
Constitutional Carry Law Promoted by Donald Trump Would Allow People to Carry Guns Everywhere Without Permits
2 hours ago Donald Trump refuses to drink coffee during Saudi Arabia ceremony Donald Trump appeared to refuse to drink coffee offered to him by Saudi officials during a royal welcome ceremony. The US president, who arrived for his landmark Middle East trip on Tuesday (13 May), was given a lavish welcome by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, with national anthems of both nations played. After formal introductions were made, the coffee and tea ceremony took place.
Constitutional Carry Law Promoted by Donald Trump Would Allow People to Carry Guns Everywhere Without Permits
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Stay up-to-date with the politics team. Sign up for the Teen Vogue Take On January 21, the website for the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention went dark. Established by President Biden in 2023 as part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the office represented the first federal effort to protect Americans from gun-related death and injury in the past 30 years.
Roger Fortson is the latest ‘good guy with a gun’ to be shot by police
Roger Fortson, a 23-year-old Air Force senior airman, is the latest Black citizen to be killed by the police while dwelling peacefully in his own home. On May 3, Fortson was in his Fort Walton Beach apartment, chatting with his girlfriend on FaceTime, when he heard a loud knock on his door.
KC Chief rally shooters could claim self-defense - The Iola Register
On Valentine’s Day, as fans celebrated the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory, shots rang out near Union Station. In the span of minutes, 39 people — many of them children — were wounded. And one, beloved local DJ Elizabeth Galvan, lay dead. But unlike many public shootings, where law enforcement struggles to find a motive, we know the cause of this tragic incident.
'Stand your ground' law gone wrong: Both Chiefs rally shooters can claim self-defense Original
On Valentines Day, as fans celebrated the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl victory, shots rang out near Union Station. In the span of minutes, 39 people - many of them children - were wounded. And one, beloved local DJ Elizabeth Galvan, lay dead. But unlike many public shootings, where law enforcement struggles to find a motive, we know the cause of this tragic incident.
‘Stand your ground’ law gone wrong: Both Chiefs rally shooters can claim self-defense | Opinion
On Valentines Day, as fans celebrated the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory, shots rang out near Union Station. In the span of minutes, 39 people — many of them children — were wounded. And one, beloved local DJ Elizabeth Galvan, lay dead. But unlike many public shootings, where law enforcement struggles to find a motive, we know the cause of this tragic incident.
The Pitiful Excuse Sheriffs Trot Out for Not Arresting White Shooters of Black Victims
Earlier this month, Ajike Owens, a Black mother of four, was gunned down in Ocala, Fla. in front of her 9-year-old son by a white neighbor who shot her from behind a door and then claimed self-defense. It took four days for the shooter, 58-year-old Susan Lorincz, to finally be arrested amidst growing media attention and public outrage.
Stand Your Ground Laws: A Simple Mistake Can Get You Shot Or Killed
Stand Your Ground Laws: A Simple Mistake Can Get You Shot Or Killed - Honolulu Civil Beat
The Conversation: ‘Stand your ground’ laws empower armed citizens to defend property with violence - a simple mistake can get you shot, or killed
THE CONVERSATION — In one key respect, Ralph Yarl was fortunate. The wounds the 16-year-old suffered after being shot twice on April 13 by the owner of the house whose doorbell he rang, thinking it was where he was due to pick up his two younger brothers, did not prove fatal. Others who have made similar mistakes have died.
The Conversation: Stand your ground laws open invitation to violence
By CAROLINE LIGHT Of Harvard University In one key respect, 16-year-old Ralph Yarl was fortunate. The wounds he suffered April 13, after being shot twice by the owner of the house whose doorbell he rang, thinking it was where he was due to pick up his two younger brothers, did not prove fatal. Others who have made similar mistakes have died.
'Stand your ground' laws empower armed citizens to defend property with violence - a simple mistake can get you shot, or killed
Caroline Light In one key respect, Ralph Yarl was fortunate. The wounds the 16-year-old suffered after being shot twice on April 13, 2023, by the owner of the house whose doorbell he rang, thinking it was where he was due to pick up his two younger brothers, did not prove fatal. Others who have made similar mistakes have died.
?Stand Your Ground' Laws Empower Armed Citizens to Defend Property With Violence - A Simple Mistake Can Get You Shot, or Killed
By Caroline Light Harvard University (THE CONVERSATION) — In one key respect, Ralph Yarl was fortunate. The wounds the 16-year-old suffered after being shot twice on April 13, 2023, by the owner of the house whose doorbell he rang, thinking it was where he was due to pick up his two younger brothers, did not prove fatal. Others who have made similar mistakes have died.
'Stand your ground' laws empower armed citizens to defend property with violence - a simple mistake can get you shot, or killed
Caroline Light, Harvard University April 21, 2023Updated: April 26, 2023 4:04 p.m. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Caroline Light, Harvard University (THE CONVERSATION) In one key respect, Ralph Yarl was fortunate.
Are ‘Stand Your Ground’ Gun Laws Dangerous?
In one key respect, Ralph Yarl was fortunate. The wounds the 16-year-old suffered after being shot twice on April 13, 2023, by the owner of the house whose doorbell he rang, thinking it was where he was due to pick up his two younger brothers, did not prove fatal. Others who have made similar mistakes have died.
'Stand Your Ground' laws empower armed citizens to defend property with violence
By Caroline Light, Senior Lecturer on Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, Harvard University In one key respect, Ralph Yarl was fortunate. The wounds the 16-year-old suffered after being shot twice on April 13, 2023 by the owner of the house whose doorbell he rang, thinking it was where he was due to pick up his two younger brothers, did not prove fatal.
'Stand your ground' laws empower armed citizens to defend property with violence - a simple mistake can get you shot, or killed
'Stand your ground' laws empower armed citizens to defend property with violence – a simple mistake can get you shot, or killed By Caroline Light, Senior Lecturer on Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, Harvard University Laws shielding from prosecution those who kill and maim citing self-defense have spread across the states and may be fueling a ‘shoot now, think later’ mindset among homeowners. Read complete article © The Conversation - Friday, April 21, 2023
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