George Zimmerman Arrested on Charges of Second-degree Murder in Trayvon Martin Murder Case

Late yesterday, after the state prosecutor filed second-degree murder charges against George Zimmerman for the death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin, Zimmerman turned himself into police and will now have his day in court.

Zimmerman is expected to enter a not-guilty plea against the charges as he has maintained that he shot Martin in self-defense that night in Sanford. The Orlando Sentinel is reporting today that Zimmerman can actually ask to have the second-degree-murder charge against him dropped without having to stand trial in the death of Trayvon Martin according to the terms of the “stand your ground law” which was passed in 2005 in the state in Florida.

According to the report, the Florida Supreme Court has already ruled that anyone charged in a death, or even an assault or battery case can request a hearing to settle the matter before trial if they claim self-defense and invoke the “stand your ground” law.

If Zimmerman and his attorney can show the judge that “a reasonable person would believe that using deadly force or the threat of deadly force was the only way to protect his or her life,” then the judge could actually dismiss the case based on that evidence. Based on the public outrage that would follow, such a ruling is not likely.

As the law reads, “A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.”

The biggest question in this case center around whether Zimmerman provoked Martin into attacking him, and whether the “stand you ground” law should be applied to this case. While the prosecution has already decided that the law does not apply, the judge will need to make that determination if a hearing is held.