A Florida lawyer is defending a woman’s actions after she shot and killed a man over a parking spot. He says that’s “exactly what we teach women to do.”
Jack Palmeri is an attorney based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He posted a video dissecting the legal aspects of the case.
“This is a clean kill,” he said in a video on Instagram.
The woman, who has not been identified, is accused of killing Bart Diguglielmo, 62, on Tuesday. Video from the scene shows the two arguing about a parking spot.
In a video from witnesses, you see Diguglielmo walk quickly towards the woman as she backs away. You then see her grab a gun from her car and point it at him.
The two continue arguing until the video cuts out, and you see Diguglielmo on the ground.
“If this was a hand-to-hand confrontation, the man most likely did and would have had a physical advantage,” Palmeri said.
He said the fact that the two people were arguing over a parking spot is irrelevant. He also pointed out how the woman continued to back away from Diguglielmo in the video.
“She placed the firearm down; she waited for law enforcement,” Palmeri said. “I think ultimately law enforcement and the state attorney’s office should not charge her. This was a clean self-defense kill.”
Florida is one of 23 states that have an active “Stand Your Ground” law. It allows an individual to use or threaten deadly force when reasonably necessary.
To fall under the law, an individual must be in a place where they are legally allowed to be. They also cannot be the initial aggressor. That means if the woman started the argument, this incident may not fall under the law.
At trial, the burden of proof rests with the state. During a pretrial immunity hearing, prosecutors must prove by “clear and convincing evidence” that the individual did not act in lawful self-defense.
Palmeri pointed out that the woman continued to back away from Diguglielmo before firing her weapon.
“This is a high-stress situation, and I think it’s very telling how she reacted afterward,” Palmeri told Atlanta Black Star. “She was very distraught. She put the gun down. She waited for law enforcement. No one truly wants to be in that situation.”
The Stand Your Ground law also requires the individual to have the belief that they are facing imminent death or great bodily harm under the circumstances.
“I feel for her,” Palmeri said.
Diguglielmo’s daughter, Amanda Marie, commented on Palmeri’s video.
“As his daughter, I can say you are putting out false information. I have seen the full unedited video by the actual detective working the case, and it’s not the video released by a person hiding in the bushes,” she wrote. “Please don’t spread false information about my family, especially during a difficult time.”
The grieving daughter declined Atlanta Black Star’s request for an interview.
“Obviously, I respect her opinion,” Palmeri said when asked about the daughter’s comment. “I appreciate she has every right to feel how she feels about me or the case or anything.”
Diguglielmo was a decorated military veteran who served in Desert Storm.
Atlanta Black Star reached out to the Broward Sheriff’s Office for information about the case but has not received a response.
The woman has not been charged.
