Among the many insane bills proposed by gun-nut Ohio lawmakers, House Bill 228 takes the cake. Under current law, if I kill someone with my gun and claim it was in self-defense, the burden of proof is on me to show that I did indeed act in self-defense. HB 228 would turn that upside down -- I would no longer need to prove I killed in self-defense, prosecutors would have to prove that I did not!
It's a borderline license to murder. If I choose my spot "wisely" -- i.e. no witnesses -- I can gun you down in cold blood, claim self-defense, and who's to say it wasn't? HB 228 also would eliminate my duty under current law to retreat before using lethal force. I could be the aggressor and provoke the conflict, end it by killing you in "self-defense," and be legally in the clear.
It's Stand Your Ground on steroids, and it's stupid, dangerous and horrible. Naturally, HB 228 was introduced by Republicans. Who else?
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