GUILTY or NOT?

GUILTY or NOT? / Glossary

Legal glossary

self-defense

A justification defense permitting the use of reasonable force to protect oneself from imminent unlawful harm.

Cases that turn on it

The 3 real court cases in the library whose brief uses this term. Read the facts, then decide — the verdict stays in the game.

• Red-Light Ambush 1964 People v. La Voie — Murder
• The Owner Shot First 1965 People v. Washington — Felony Murder
• The Scissors 1980 State v. Kelly — Reckless Manslaughter (as lesser included offence of murder)

Related category: Homicide

Murder, manslaughter, felony murder and criminal negligence causing death — the cases where the question is not only what happened, but what the accused meant. The newest Homicide cases in the library:

• The Promise to Feed 1992 Commonwealth v. Pestinikas — Third-Degree Murder (by Omission)
• Too Drunk to Care 1983 People v. Register — Depraved Indifference Murder
• The Christmas Eve Shooting 1987 State v. Forrest — Murder — First Degree

All 33 Homicide cases →

See also: Defenses

• affirmative defense
• castle doctrine
• necessity
• insanity defense
• entrapment

← right to counsel · sixth amendment → · All 44 terms

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