Yes — if you reasonably believe you are in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm, or to prevent a forcible felony. You have no duty to retreat if you are in a place where you are lawfully permitted to be.
Absolutely. Police and prosecutors may still investigate and file charges in violent encounters, especially if serious injuries or death resulted. An experienced criminal defense lawyer can assert your rights under Stand Your Ground and fight to prevent charges, secure a dismissal, or win at trial.
It’s a pretrial immunity hearing where your attorney asks the court to dismiss the charges because the use of force was legally justified. If successful, you cannot be prosecuted or sued.
Florida law extends Stand Your Ground protections to defending others — not just yourself. If you used reasonable force to protect someone else from imminent danger, you may claim immunity under the statute.
