Pinella's judge denies to keep their soil defense in Howard Frankland Stech

A judge in Pinellas rejected a stand-your claim from a former state prosecutor who says that he acted in self-defense when he stood up another driver after a traffic accident at Howard Frankland Bridge.

Patrick Scruggs smashed the man's window and stabbed him in his arms about seven times because he feared for his security, he said in a two -day hearing at the beginning of this month.

After hearing Scruggs, the victim and several witnesses, the judge of Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Keith Meyer held his judgment on Friday and presented a court proceedings against September 9.

Her testimony showed that Scrugg's “out of anger and frustration, not out of fear”, “out of fear”, Meyer wrote in a court order.

“The balance of the evidence showed that the accused did not act properly,” he wrote.

Scruggs' lawyers had tried to reject the case in accordance with Florida's controversial status.

“In all of this, Mr. Scruggs tried to prevent an obviously impaired driver harms himself with the vehicle,” said Lee Pearlman, Scrugg's lawyer, during the opening statements of the hearing. “But also to prevent this man from destroying his own vehicle and continuing to flee over the bridge during traffic.”

In the books since 2005, the Stand Your Ground Law has expanded self-defense in Florida by removing so-called “duty to retreat” if a person is confronted with the risk of violent confrontation. It enables the use of fatal violence in situations in which a person is reasonably believed that it is necessary to prevent death or large assault.

If a judge determines that a case fulfills the legislative criteria, the accused is immune before the prosecution. The law was strongly supported by the National Rifle Association when it was adopted.

The prosecutors argued, Scruggs did not act as a “prudent person” in view of an “immediately impending threat”.

Meyer agreed.

“A reasonable and prudent person, even under the circumstances … it would not believe that the use of fatal violence was necessary to prevent an immediate death or great bodily harm or the upcoming inspection of violence,” he wrote.

The incident occurred on September 26, 2023, when Blake Sharp stopped his Lexus in traffic and sagged the passenger seat. Another driver, Ahmed Gahaf, saw him and drove to help to help, Gahaf said.

Sharp suddenly raced forward and fell into the back of Gahaf's car before he closed and bent into a left lane, where he collided with Scrugg's' Honda Civic.

Scruggs got out of his car and captured a small pocket knife with which he had broken Sharps car window, he said. When he stretched inwards to switch off the car, a fight between Scruggs and Sharp began.

Gahaf said he was approaching the car, but ran away after Scrugs turned and gave him the knife. After Scruggs accelerated again, the former prosecutor said.

Sharp said he had a “medical episode” that left him out at the wheel. He woke up to scrugs to rain, he said.

Sharp seemed to be affected by Scruggs and Gahaf. Sharp denied that he had consumed drugs or alcohol this morning. Defense lawyers submitted an application to include in the case evidence from Sharps from earlier DUI judgment.

At the time of the crash, Sharp was on probation after he found intoxicated and passed out in his car near Tropicana Field. Since then, Sharp has been sentenced to prison for a violation of the probation in a case of Hernando County.

Witnesses who recorded the stinging of the bridge said they feared the retaliation of the man who swung the knife. They also said it seemed as if Scruggs had returned to suffocate sharply a second time. Scruggs contested a second stab from the stand.

When the police arrived at St. Petersburg, Scruggs worked together. He appeared calmly and collected, an officer said. Scruggs was arrested and booked for heavy battery and other fees.

Scruggs said spicy escalated the situation by reaching his arms and trying to pull him into the car. Meyer wrote on Friday that he saw no evidence of Scrugg's claim in the records shown in court.