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WV Bill Proposes Expanding Stand Your Ground Law
By: Associated Press
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A group of West Virginia state delegates has proposed giving residents broader leeway to use physical force to protect themselves and their property.
The bill proposed by 11 Democrats Friday would expand the state's so-called "stand your ground" law. Currently residents are allowed to use physical force to repel home intruders or any attackers.
Under the proposed bill residents also could use force to defend another person who is attacked, or to defend any piece of movable property.
The bill removes language from the current law that requires self-defense to be "proportionate" to the attack. It authorizes a person to use deadly force against someone who they believe is committing a robbery. The bill also clarifies that the current law's protections apply to both criminal and civil cases.