Christopher Benjamin refiles bill banning most citizen’s arrests

Miami Gardens Rep. Christopher Benjamin is again trying to pass legislation keeping law enforcement mostly in the hands of police.

He filed HB 25, which would ban most citizen’s arrests in Florida. It builds on a measure he introduced in January that received no hearing.

That bill sought to ban citizen’s arrests with exceptions for police outside their jurisdiction. The new version adds allowances for people detaining home and vehicle intruders.

Benjamin said the centuries-old practice has little application in modern society and “gives cover for bad actors,” like the men convicted of murdering Georgia man Ahmaud Arbery last year.

– Jesse Scheckner, Florida Politics