Deadly-Force Law Has an Effect, but Florida Hasn't Become the Wild West; State Attorneys Say It Makes Filing Charges More Difficult for Prosecutors

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Byline: J. TAYLOR RUSHING

TALLAHASSEE -- Last year, Florida's new "deadly force" law was simply an interesting newspaper story to Doug Freeman.

This year, it may have saved him from prison.

Freeman, owner of Marvin's Electronics in Jacksonville's Murray Hill neighborhood, has claimed self-defense in shooting 26-year-old Vincent Hudson five times in his store on the night of May 31.

Their stories differ on the nature of the confrontation -- it was either an attempted robbery or a request for money -- but Hudson survived and Freeman won't face charges.

The murky details contain one clear point: Florida's legal landscape has changed since Oct. 1, when a law took effect that broadens the legal principle of self-defense.

"I knew about the law, but it's not something you think about on a moment's notice," Freeman said. "It's a good law. It should have been enacted years ago. There has to be a mechanism in place to safeguard average citizens against something like this."

Predictions flew across …