Florida University Offers Course on 'Stand Your Ground' Law

In the wake of the highly publicized George Zimmerman trial, a Florida college is offering a new course that will be centered around the controversial Stand Your Ground law.

The course is being offered this fall by the School of Public Administration at the Boca Raton campus of Florida Atlantic University.Program coordinator Richard Mangan says the national publicity surrounding the recent George Zimmerman trial helped spur the creation of the course, which is being offered as an elective.

The class was two-thirds full as of Wednesday afternoon and will be taught by Frank De La Torre, a criminal justice professor.

The law gathered considerable media attention after George Zimmerman was acquitted of the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, although it was not actually used in the case. The Dream Defenders camped out in front of Gov. Rick Scott's office for 31 days protesting the law, demanding a special session to discuss it.

There will be a hearing on Stand Your Ground in the fall.

Floridas Stand Your Ground law generally removed a persons duty to retreat, if possible, in the face of danger. It was the first of its kind in the nation when it passed in 2005. About two dozen states have similar laws.