JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Just about 24 hours ago, a local man didn't know if he would be leaving the Duval County Courthouse a free man.

He faced three years in prison on an aggravated assault charge. His attorney said he simply stood his ground. And Thursday, a jury agreed.

The charge stemmed from a May 2011 confrontation in the parking lot of the Jacksonville Beach Pier. A local man was left beaten and bloody after a fist fight.

He pulled his gun and was arrested. But his attorney, Lee Lockett, says that should have never happened.

"My client was simply trying to get through the parking lot. He was viciously attacked by the alleged victim," he said.

The case went to trial this week, where Lockett says he was able to prove this was a clear case of self-defense, a case where his client stood his ground. He never fired his weapon.
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"The 'stand your ground' law was not enacted so that citizens can run around and become gun-toting, gun-wielding outlaws," said Lockett. "His goal was to get these guys away from the scene and to secure the scene. And that's what the law was enacted to do. And that's why the jury found him not guilty."

Lockett says the jury only deliberated for three minutes.

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Another example of why it's important to be able to protect ourselves instead of always being the victim.