| dc.description.abstract |
Over the past few years there has been a movement at the state level to expand the Castle Doctrine. These new laws ex- tend the right to self-defense, with no duty to retreat, to places outside the home such as a vehicle, workplace, or anywhere else a person has a right to be. Such expansions could have significant implications for public safety and the justice system’s ability to hold people accountable for violent acts. In March 2007, the National District Attorneys Association’s American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI), with funding from the Joyce Foundation, convened a symposium of prosecution, law enforcement, government, public health, and academic experts representing over a dozen states to discuss the legislative expansions to the Castle Doctrine. The experts considered whether the expansions could have un- intended consequences that would negatively affect public safety. This paper sets out the advisory group’s key topics of discussion and details the issues and concerns raised during the March symposium… Our inquiry demonstrated that there is a real and immediate need to test the utility and soundness of such laws, particularly as more and more states consider passing expansions to the Castle Doctrine. (palabras claves: doctrina del castillo) |
