'Castle Doctrine' Clears Two Who Were Protecting Their Residence

The "Castle Doctrine" has cleared two people arrested in St. Louis, Mo., for fatally shooting an intruder, according to a report in stltoday.com, a St. Louis news website. The Castle doctrine designates one's residence (or, in some states, any place legally occupied, such as a car or even place of work) as a place in which one expects protection from illegal trespassing and violent attack.

It gives a person the right to use deadly force to defend that place or "castle," from which the doctrine draws its name, and any other people legally inside it, from attack or intrusion which could lead to an attack.

It clears up how far should you have to retreat before you can fire your gun in self-defense.

Prosecutors have decided to not charge two people who were initially  arrested in the shooting death of an intruder in April because they said the killing was justified under the law.