Obama Sponsored Legislation Protecting Illinois Residents From Civil Liability For Standing Their Ground

It's yet another case of "do what I say, not what I do." It turns out that President Barack Obama co-sponsored legislation (SB 2286) as an Illinois state senator which strengthened the state's stand your ground statute by providing the state's residents immunity from civil liability, which was signed into law on July 28, 2004, the same year he was seeking statewide election as a U.S. Senator in Illinois. According to the Illinois Times, the legislation passed the Illinois Senate unanimously and received only two dissenting votes when it was considered by the Illinois House. Here's the pertinent language from the Obama immunity law for standing your ground.

Section 5. The Criminal Code of 1961 is amended by changing

Sections 7-1, 7-2, and 7-3 as follows:

(720 ILCS 5/7-1)  (from Ch. 38, par. 7-1)

Sec. 7-1. Use of force in defense of person.

(a) A person is justified in the use of force against

another when and to the extent that he reasonably believes that

such conduct is necessary to defend himself or another against

such other's imminent use of unlawful force. However, he is

justified in the use of force which is intended or likely to

cause death or great bodily harm only if he reasonably believes

that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great

bodily harm to himself or another, or the commission of a

forcible felony.

(b) In no case shall any act involving the use of force

justified under this Section give rise to any claim or

liability brought by or on behalf of any person acting within

the definition of "aggressor" set forth in Section 7-4 of this

Article, or the estate, spouse, or other family member of such

a person, against the person or estate of the person using such

justified force, unless the use of force involves willful or

wanton misconduct.

(Source: Laws 1961, p. 1983.)

Interestingly, supporters of Trayvon Martin have urged the Martin family to sue George Zimmerman civilly in the state of Florida after a jury acquitted him of all charges. Martin's family has already won a $1 million civil settlement from the insurer for the homeowner's association where Zimmerman lived and volunteered as a neighborhood crime watch captain.