Southside Jacksonville Florida Shooting Murder Charges

Michael Dunn arrested for Jacksonville shooting of Jordan Davis.

Michael Dunn is the 45 year old man accused of shooting a teenager.  Last Saturday, he was arrested, because of a Jacksonville warrant.  He was in custody at the Brevard County Jail.  He was transported to the Duval County Jail.  He has been accused of the Jacksonville murder of Jordan Davis.  Davis was 17 years old.  Last Friday, this shooting occurred on the Southside of Jacksonville, Florida.  It happened on Southside Boulevard and Baymeadows Road at the Gate gas station.

Rob Schoonover is the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Homicide Lieutenant.  He stated that the shooting occurred at approximately 7:40 p.m. on Friday.  First Coast News reports:

“A car with 17-year-old Jordan Davis and three other teens was parked at the Gate. Schoonover said the driver of the car went into the store to buy something, leaving Davis and two others in the car.  While the teens were sitting there, a car being driven by 45-year-old Michael Dunn parked next to them.  Dunn’s girlfriend went inside the store to buy something. Schoonover said at that time Dunn said something to the teens about turning their music down. Schoonover said the car full of teens said something back to Dunn.  Dunn then allegedly pulled a gun and fired into the car eight or nine times. When he did, Schoonover said, he hit Davis twice, killing him…. Dunn’s girlfriend then came out of the store, got into the car and the two sped away.  Witnesses took down Dunn’s tag number and gave it to police.  Schoonover said that helped authorities locate the two so quickly.”

Normally, a Jacksonville criminal defense lawyer represents people charged in Duval County.  In this case, Dunn has a Florida criminal attorney from Melbourne.  This is probably becomes he was arrested on a Jacksonville warrant in the area.  Robin Lemonidis is his Florida lawyer.  She “said Tuesday night that Michael Dunn acted in self defense when he shot and killed Jordan Davis. Dunn, 45, is now behind bars in Duval County.

  ‘He didn’t think he had harmed anybody and he just thought he had scared them off and he wanted to report it, but he didn’t want to go in a sense, throw himself to the wolves in a strange city without representation,’ Lemonidis said.

  The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has said Davis was unarmed.” (Attorney of Michael Dunn, accused of killing 17-year-old Jordan Davis: He saw a gun)
Dunn will likely put forth a Jacksonville self defense argument.  Based on the facts so far, I believe that he will use the Florida Stand Your Ground law.  The Florida Stand Your Ground law is the self defense law has been in the news lately in the George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin case.  This Florida Self-Defense and Stand Your Ground Case received national media attention.  It is also being prosecuted by attorneys at the Duval County State Attorneys Office.
The arrest and booking report stated that there were three other people in the car with Davis when Dunn fired at them.  Dunn was arrested for attempted murder and murder.  As a Jacksonville criminal lawyer, I am unsure why he was charged with attempted murder.  I am assuming that he is accused of attempting to murder the other individuals in the car.  The Duval County State Attorney has not filed formal charges.  The Duval County Judge passed the case for arraignment to December 19, 2012.  We will be able to understand these Jacksonville homicide charges better when we see the charging document.