Tulsa County Judge Rules Stand Your Ground Law Not Applied To Teen's Case

A Tulsa County judge ruled that Stand Your Ground law does not apply to a teenager charged with killing a person and injuring three others at a McLain football game.

Attorneys for Ni'Avien Golden argued he was defending himself when he started shooting outside the game more than a year ago.

Prosecutors argued that Stand Your Ground wouldn't apply in this situation because Golden was too young to legally have a gun at the time of the shooting.

The judge agreed.

Stand Your Ground laws allow someone to defend themselves if they fear for their life or the life of someone else.

A judge previously ruled Golden, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, will be tried as an adult.

His attorney says it doesn't make sense to say Golden can be tried as an adult for murder, but he’s too young to defend himself.

But prosecutors argued Golden never should have had the gun, given his age.

"That evidence is what we used to determine that Ni'Avien Golden was not allowed to have Stand Your Ground protection because his conduct was illegal in carrying the firearm; therefore, you don't get that standard protection," said Erik Grayless with the Tulsa County DA’s Office.

Golden's trial is set for next February.