Louisiana’s Stand Your Ground law removes the duty to retreat before using force in self-defense. According to Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 14:20, a person who is not engaged in unlawful activity and is in a place where they have the right to be is justified in using deadly force if they reasonably believe they are in immediate danger of losing their life or suffering serious bodily harm. The law states that such a person can stand their ground and meet force with force, and crucially, the possibility of retreat should not factor into whether the use of deadly force was reasonable.
This means that if someone faces a threat, they are legally allowed to defend themselves without first attempting to avoid the confrontation by retreating, as long as they are lawfully present where the incident occurs. The Stand Your Ground doctrine also extends to protecting one’s dwelling, vehicle, or place of business. In these contexts, deadly force is justifiable if the person reasonably believes another intends to use unlawful force or is trying to commit a robbery or burglary.
Louisiana law specifically emphasizes that the belief in the need to use deadly force must be reasonable. The person must be lawfully in the location and faced with a forcible and illegal entry or attack. The traditional legal requirement to retreat, which exists in some states, is waived under this law, aligning Louisiana with other states that have adopted similar stand-your-ground principles.
Exceptions include situations where the individual is involved in unlawful activity at the time of the incident—such as drug crimes—which would disqualify the use of this defense. The statute also covers the use of non-deadly force under certain conditions, removing the duty to retreat in these cases as well.
The legal principle behind the Stand Your Ground law in Louisiana is to allow individuals to protect themselves, their home, or their business without the burden of retreating when threatened with serious harm. This can be a crucial defense in homicide or assault cases, where the person who used force claims it was necessary for self-protection.
Louisiana’s Stand Your Ground law permits the use of deadly force in self-defense without requiring a person to retreat if they are in a place they have a legal right to be and reasonably believe they face imminent danger of death or serious injury. This statute is meant to protect individuals’ rights to defend themselves, their property, or their vehicles under threatening circumstances, but only when their actions are reasonable and lawful.
Sources
[1] https://www.whiddonlawoffice.com/blog/what-is-the-stand-your-ground-law-in-louisiana/
[2] https://www.brettkduncanlaw.com/blog/2025/02/facing-louisiana-assault-charges-learn-about-self-defense-laws/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-your-ground_law
[4] https://www.justia.com/criminal/defenses/stand-your-ground-laws-50-state-survey/
[5] https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/stand-your-ground-in-louisiana/
