Non-Retreat Bill
Tamara Evans
House Bill 236 passed the Kentucky House on Friday on an 84-to-4 vote and will now be reviewed by the Senate.
The Non-Retreat Bill would make it to where you wouldn't have to retreat when someone is breaking into your home or vehicle, and would protect you from being prosecuted or sued for opening fire on intruders.
"It provides the homeowners and the general public with alot better protection under the law in circumstances where there might be obvious evidence one was about to try to take someone's life or create physical harm", says 6th District Representative J.R. Gray, who is backing the proposed bill.
"It's been kinda understood for years that you have a duty to retreat more or less to the farthest corner of your house before you use the force against an intruder. We decided it was about time to put and end to this and give people protection from lawsuits in case someone (an intruder) wanted to bring one in the case of an accident (being shot or injured)", says Gray.
The proposed bill would allow you not to retreat from someone intruding into your home or vehicle and would keep you from being prosecuted or sued if you did have to protect yourself.
The bill will now be reviewed by the Senate before a final decision is made, and according to prosecutors, if the bill passes there will be some good and bad points to the possible law.
"The disadvantage we worry about as prosecutors is obviously this will cause more people to claim self defense in order to avoid prosecution, but the bottom line is all cases where death occurs will be fully investigated. This will not be a get out of jail free just by claiming self-defense", says Warren County Commonwealth Attorney, Chris Cohron.
