Trayvon Martin's mother testified before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee that "stand your ground laws" need to be reviewed and amended, ABC News reported.
Sybrina Fulton told the Capitol Hill assembled gathering "it's unfortunate what has happened with Trayvon, and that's why I feel like it's so important for me to be here so that you all can at least put a face with what has happened with this tragedy."
The 17-year-old Martin, who was unarmed at the time, was shot and killed just steps away from his father's home by neighborhood watch patrolman George Zimmerman, who later claimed self-defense and was acquitted largely based on principles "stand your ground."
"I just wanted to come here to talk to you for a moment to let you know how important it is that we amend this 'stand your ground' because it did not, certainly did not work in my case," Fulton said of the law that now exists in 22 different states. "The person that shot and killed my son is walking the streets today and this law does not work. We need to seriously take a look at this law."
Sen. Dick Durbin, chairman of the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights subcommittee, said the self-defense laws have caused "unnecessary tragedies" and need to be reviewed.
"It is clearly time for 'stand your ground' laws to be carefully reviewed and reconsidered," Durbin said. "Whatever the motivation behind them, it's clear these laws often go too far in encouraging confrontations that escalate into deadly violence. They're resulting in unnecessary tragedies and they are diminishing accountability under our justice system."
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