The Iowa Court of Appeals has ruled the “stand your ground” law does not apply to a northeast Iowa man’s murder case.
Steve Fordyce was convicted by a judge of voluntary manslaughter after he shot and killed Donald Harrington outside a Waterloo home in 2015. Harrington confronted him after Fordyce’s daughters allegedly threw candy wrappers over a fence into his yard.
Fordyce appealed the verdict — saying his case should fall under the “stand your ground” law that was enacted just before the ruling was released in his case. The Iowa Court of Appeals says the “stand your ground” law does not have to be applied retroactively.
The Appeals Court also agreed with the district court that Fordyce had an alternative course of action available to him and there were no physical barriers to keep Fordyce from running away from Harrington. And the ruling says the district court judge took into account the nature of the confrontation and did not find him guilty of the more serious offenses of first or second-degree murder.
Here’s the ruling: Fordyce-ruling-PDF
;
