What Are ‘Stand Your Ground’ Laws, and When Do They Apply?

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/19/us/stand-your-ground-laws-states.html

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The shooting of a teenager in Kansas City, Mo., and the killing of a woman in upstate New York in recent days have brought renewed attention to the legal protections offered to people who say they acted in self-defense or out of fear for their safety.

In Kansas City, a Black teenager was shot last Thursday when he mistakenly went to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers. The 84-year-old white man who shot the teenager through his front door has been charged with first-degree assault; he told investigators that he thought someone was breaking into his house.

In New York, a 20-year-old woman looking for a friend’s house was fatally shot on Monday after the car in which she was riding went to the wrong address. The homeowner there fired shots and killed her, the authorities say; he has been charged with second-degree murder.

Missouri is one of about 30 states with a “stand your ground” law. New York is not, but defendants there and elsewhere can argue that their actions are protected by what is known as the “castle doctrine.”