A state senator's task force to examine Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting will be holding a panel meeting to discuss it Thursday.
State Sen. Chris Smith's panel will meet in Fort Lauderdale to hear from judges and tourism officials and will possibly recommend changes or the repeal of the 2005 law to state lawmakers.
The law has come under scrutiny following the shooting of the 17-year-old by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman at a gated community in Sanford on Feb. 26.
The Miami Gardens teen was visiting with his father at his father's girlfriend's home in the gated community and had gone to buy a bag of Skittles and iced tea at a nearby convenience store and was walking back when the shooting happened.
Though Martin was unarmed, Zimmerman told police the shooting was self-defense, and no charges have been filed in the case.
Zimmerman had spotted the teen and called 911, telling the dispatcher he was following Martin. The dispatcher told him not to, but Martin and Zimmerman got into a confrontation.
Police said Zimmerman had a bloody nose, gash on the back of his head and grass stains on the back of his shirt. Zimmerman's family and his attorney, Craig Sonner, say the 28-year-old also had his nose broken by Martin.
The teen's family say Martin was not the aggressor and claim a Sanford Police video that shows Zimmerman hours after the fatal confrontation refutes that he was injured.
Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee Jr., who has temporarily stepped down pending the investigation into the shooting, had said there was no probable cause to arrest Zimmerman, citing the state's controversial law.
Earlier this week, Miami-Dade County commissioners called for a repeal of the "Stand Your Ground" law and passed a resolution urging the Florida Legislature to convene hearings on the statute.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio weighed in on the Martin case and the law Wednesday, saying it's premature to talk about repealing it.
"I don't know what happened in this case, but 'stand your ground' does not allow you to chase somebody and shoot them," he said. "So I'm not saying that's what happened in this case, but if it happened in this case or in any other case, `stand your ground' doesn't apply."
Rubio called the shooting "a tremendous tragedy" but said he was "troubled people are rushing to judgment."
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has appointed a special prosecutor to oversee the investigation into Martin's death and is also planning his own task force to look into the law. The FBI and U.S. Justice Department are also investigating the shooting.
Communities all across the nation have been galvanized by the event. The shooting has led to numerous marches and protests throughout South Florida and across the country, as Martin's family and supporters demand Zimmerman's arrest.
Wednesday night, Martin's parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, led a "Trayvon Martin March for Justice" in conjunction with the 44th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
