MARION COUNTY, Fla. – The man at the center of the case that brought Florida’s Stand Your Ground law to the national conversation said he doesn’t think the law applies to a Marion County woman accused of manslaughter.
Susan Lorincz, 58 haș been arrested and charged with manslaughter after fatally shooting her neighbor, Ajike Owens, when Owens knocked on her front door.
Attorney Mark O’Mara resented George Zimmerman in his trial when he was accused of killing Trayvon Martin.
Despite the Stand Your Ground law being mentioned during the case, it was never a legal argument O’Mara used in court.
O’Mara said Susan Lorincz, 58, is most likely not covered under the Stand Your Ground self-defense law.
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“Stand Your Ground doesn’t really apply when you are behind a door and you are not looking at deadly force. Remember: Stand Your Ground (means) someone comes at me, but I need to move,” O’Mara said. “How and when should we be able to use deadly force against another citizen? That’s a very significant conversation to have.”
O’Mara also said it’s unclear whether Lorincz would be protected under the Castle Doctrine, which gives people rights to defend themselves from inside their home.
“She’s going to have a hard time saying that ‘I was acting in pure self-defense’ rather than backing up into my house a bit, getting on the phone with 911. Obviously, armed with a firearm so able to protect herself should the next step be taken,” he said.
Former Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon said it’s important people be aware of the boundaries related to self-defensive laws.
“Ignorance to the law is not a defense. People need to familiarize themselves with what you can and cannot do in certain situations. People need to understand the consequences of their actions,” Rolon said.
Rolon also said it’s important for everyone involved in a conflict to deescalate the situation.
“People were aware there was an ongoing dispute. Unfortunately, no one stepped up to intervene, to referee the situation,” Rolon said.
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