"so basically stand your ground only applies to white people in florida"
~tumblr user droll-childOkay guys, I need your help! Three years ago, this man (Michael Giles) was violently attacked outside a club in Florida during a large brawl involving almost 30-40 people. Giles was in danger of getting severely injured by one particular aggressor (unnamed), and in an effort to escape the crowd and save himself, he fired a legally registered weapon that he had at the time. Although the bullet did strike the aggressor’s leg, it did not seriously injure him. Giles then proceeded to try and find his friends to leave the area as soon as possible.
Several witnesses testified that Giles had not provoked anything and that the aggressor had started fights earlier that night. The aggressor himself admitted (in court) that he attacked Giles spontaneously. Also, Giles did not continue firing after his first bullet had gotten him a chance to escape. He left the area as soon as he could.
Despite this, Michael Giles received a mandatory 25-year sentence for “aggravated battery with a deadly weapon causing bodily harm”. There’s a plethora of evidence showing that this case should fall under the stand-your-ground law, but this appeal was denied by the judge.
Michael Giles was even a member of the United States Airforce at the time. “He had no prior criminal offenses, no history of violence, and was a outstanding father and Airman.”
The only major reason his sentence is so harsh is because of his race.
The judge himself is quoted as saying, “Frankly, I think the 25-year mandatory is overly harsh based on the facts of this case, but that’s what the law requires I do and I intend to follow the law.”
This is a link to the change.org petition started by Michael Giles’ parents. They are simply asking Governor Rick Scott and the Clemency Board to commute his sentence, and right now they need about 40,000 more signatures to reach their goal.
PLEASE, PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION AND REBLOG THIS TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE!!