Curtis Reeves Denied Stand Your Ground Immunity

We followed the hearing, and now the judge has entered her decision.    Today, March 10, 2017, Pasco-Pinellas Circuit Judge Susan Barthle denied Curtis Reeves’ motion to apply Florida’s “Stand your Ground” law to the case.  Reeves now faces trial on second degree murder charges for killing Chad Oulson to death in a movie theater over text messaging.   A trial date has not yet been set.

 

 

Here’s the ruling:

Curtis Reeves- Stand Your Ground Hearing

Hat tip to Yahtzeebutterfly for keeping up with this case.

Florida’s controversial stand your ground law came upfront when 17-year old, unarmed Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in Sanford, Florida on February 26, 2012.   The law allows people to use deadly force when they fear death or great bodily harm.  Stand your ground, if granted, gives the defendant immunity from being placed on trial for the results of using deadly force.   If the person who used deadly force was the initiator, they might not qualify for immunity under stand your ground.

That is part of the controversy with stand your ground law.  It depends on perception, and when the person is dead, they cannot testify of their perception.

You might have heard of the “popcorn murder.”  It is the Reeves’ case.  In January 2014, 71-year old Curtis Reeves shot Chad Oulson (43) to death in a movie theater over texting.  Reeves also wounded Oulson’s wife. Reeves is charged with second degree murder and he claims self-defense, alleging that Chad hit him with something so hard that it knocked his glasses off his face.

Attorneys In Stand Your Ground “Popcorn Shooting” Want To Stop Access To Court Records

Wait a minute! I thought that stand your ground hearings are decided by judges; not juries. If Reeves’ defense attorneys sincerely believe they can prevail in a SYG immunity hearing, why are they concerned with tainting the jury pool? Another thought is that case documents are not free to the public. It is generally the media who obtains documents filed in the case and they only pay for documents that have significance and not depositions.

End Stand Your Ground

Attorneys for the former cop charged with killing a man & shooting the man’s wife in what is called the “popcorn shooting” have filed a motion to stop public access to court records as a stand your ground hearing approaches. They claim that media coverage leading up to the trial may prejudice prospective jurors.

Retired Tampa Police Department Captain Curtis Judson Reeves, 73 years-old, is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree battery in the shooting death of 43-year-old Chad Oulson and wounding of Oulson’s wife, Nicole. The incident happened inside a movie theater in Pasco County on January 13, 2014 during an argument.

SEE: A Theater Shooting You May Have Forgotten About

Reeves is claiming self-defense under Florida’s stand your ground law, saying he fired on Oulson after the younger man threw an “unknown object” at him, which turned out to be a box of popcorn, and presumably a cell phone. Circuit Court Judge Susan L…

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Curtis Reeves – Trial Could Be Held Later This Year

In January 2014, 71-year old Curtis Reeves shot Chad Oulson (43) to death in a movie theater over texting. Reeves is charged with second degree murder and he claims self-defense, alleging that Chad hit him with something so hard that it knocked his glasses off his face.

A recent forensic test on Oulson’s phone was negative for Reeve’s DNA.

Nicole Oulson, Widow Of Chad Oulson, Murdered For Texting…Speaks About Their “Date Night” At A Movie.

And so, Florida wants money to increase advertising for tourism. Its own residents can’t attend a movie without being killed.