Jury Rejects ‘Stand Your Ground’

A Montana man who shot and killed a German exchange student caught trespassing in his garage was convicted of deliberate homicide Wednesday in a case that attracted attention as a test of “stand your ground” laws that govern the use of deadly force to defend life and property. Cheers erupted in the packed courtroom when the verdict was read in the case against Markus Kaarma, 30, of Missoula. Kaarma shot 17-year-old high school student Diren Dede in the early hours of April 27 after being alerted to an intruder by motion sensors. Witnesses testified Kaarma fired four shotgun blasts at Dede, who was unarmed/ AP . More here. (Missoulian/AP file photo: Flanked by his defense attorneys Brian Smith, left, and Paul Ryan, right, Markus Kaarma listens to testimony Dec. 8)