Category Archives: Current Issue: Articles

The Evil Waiter Case

BY LUIS E. CHIESA, 69 U. Miami L. Rev. 161 (2014). Introduction: The chef at a restaurant rings the bell signaling to the wait staff that food is ready to be taken to a table. The waiter diligently walks to the kitchen and picks up the plate. It is an exquisitely prepared filet mignon with […]

Real Men Advance, Real Women Retreat: Stand Your Ground, Battered Women’s Syndrome, and Violence as Male Privilege

BY MARY ANNE FRANKS, 68 U. Miami L. Rev. 1099 (2014). Introduction: Republican politicians and candidates made headlines during the 2012 election season for making unsympathetic, offensive, and inaccurate comments about rape. From Todd Akin’s infamous assertion that women rarely get pregnant as a result of “legitimate” rape because “the female body has ways to […]

A Call for Change: A Contextual-Configurative Analysis of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” Laws

BY ELIZABETH MEGALE, 68 U. Miami L. Rev. 1052 (2014). Introduction: Public response to the shooting death of Trayvon Martin evidenced a drastic schism in community values. To some, the problem of “Stand Your Ground” represents purely a race issue that not only perpetuates endemic racial tensions amongst members of society, but also generally protects […]

“Stand Your Ground” Laws: International Human Rights Law Implications

BY AHMAD ABUZNAID, CAROLINE BETTINGER-LOPEZ, CHARLOTTE CASSEL, & MEENA JAGANNATH, 68 U. Miami L. Rev. 1129 (2014). Introduction: Since the February 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin and other recent high-profile criminal cases, “Stand Your Ground” (“SYG”) laws in the United States have come under intense scrutiny. Florida is ground zero for the controversy. SYG laws […]

“He’s a Black Male . . . Something Is Wrong With Him!” The Role of Race in the Stand Your Ground Debate

BY D. MARVIN JONES, 68 U. Miami L. Rev. 1025 (2014). Introduction: George Zimmerman claimed to know quite a lot about Trayvon Martin. “This guy looks like he’s up to no good, or he’s on drugs or something,” Zimmerman tells the 911 operator. “He’s just staring, looking at all the houses. Now he’s coming toward […]