Stand Your Ground Hopeless Defense for Blacks Like Michael Giles

While on active duty with the U.S. Air Force and stationed in Tampa, Florida, in 2010 Michael Giles, was invited by a friend to a party in Tallahassee, Florida. Shorty after arriving at their destination the group found themselves in a volatile atmosphere. Several brawls broke out at the party involving various groups. In the midst of the chaos Michael was separated from his friends, the only two people he knew in the area. Several individuals in the crowd were overheard mentioning shooting and the fraternities fighting began calling in reinforcements. Witnesses stated there were between 20-40 people fighting. Michael tried his best to avoid the crowd and the groups of men fighting when all of a sudden he was rushed by a crowd of people from the front. He tried to move but his unknown attacker struck him from behind, at which point he fell to the ground. With so many people fighting around him and his attacker close by, Michael fired his weapon to get away from the fighting.
Later during trial his attacker admitted to not knowing Michael. Several witnesses stated that Michael was just standing to the side not provoking anyone, or causing a commotion.. He admitted that Michael did nothing to provoke him.
Michael had a legal right to carry and conceal. He was attacked, and defended himself. He feared that the angry mob would turn on him and he would be killed or seriously injured. He then fired a single shot to get away from his attacker, which struck the attacker in the leg. For this he is now serving a 25 year sentence in Florida. The only bullet found showed no evidence of hitting anyone. The state ignored witnesses statements of multiple gun shots being fired during the fight.
His Judge stated that he felt the evidence presented did not justify a 25 year sentence and if he could, he would give him an alternative sentence. But due to the current mandatory minimum law he was forced to give Michael the 25 years.