# The letter of the law

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-letter-of-the-law/655559>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 13, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-letter-of-the-law/655559 "2013-04-13T02:00:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-letter-of-the-law/655559/21 "2013-04-14T19:13:58Z")

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Don’t know.

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**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-letter-of-the-law/655559/22 "2013-04-16T03:22:38Z")

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Also, I would argue that the intent of the legislature would naturally mean that the “unlawful activity” contributed in some way to being in the danger where no retreat was required. IOW, I can’t be selling drugs in an illegal casino/whorehouse and then turn around and pretend to be an innocent citizen in danger by demanding my right to “stand my ground” when a pimp tries to rob me.

But it would be equally absurd if I, for example, had a fraudulent income tax return in my pocket that I was filling out and on the way to the post office to mail it, and was attacked but the prosecutor said that the SYG law didn’t apply to me because of my “unlawful act.” My unlawful act had nothing to do with the situation I was in, and shouldn’t preclude my SYG claim.

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