{"id":607,"date":"2012-07-31T20:12:25","date_gmt":"2012-07-31T20:12:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/?page_id=607"},"modified":"2019-07-26T20:23:58","modified_gmt":"2019-07-26T20:23:58","slug":"self-defense","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/?page_id=607","title":{"rendered":"Self Defense"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li>CR07-101.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vtjuryinstructions.org\/criminal\/MS07-101.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Self Defense<\/a>\u00a0 (11\/09\/07)<\/li>\n<li>CR07-091.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vtjuryinstructions.org\/criminal\/MS07-091.htm\" target=\"_blank\">The Aggressor and Self-Defense<\/a> (06\/16\/03)<\/li>\n<li>CR07-111.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vtjuryinstructions.org\/criminal\/MS07-111.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Use of Deadly Force in Self Defense<\/a>\u00a0 (07\/26\/19)<\/li>\n<li>CR07-121.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vtjuryinstructions.org\/criminal\/MS07-121.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Use of Deadly Force in Self Defense and in Defense of Another<\/a>\u00a0 (06\/18\/03)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Reporter&#8217;s Note<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although characterized as a defense, self-defense is something the State must disprove once it is presented in the case.\u00a0 However, the defendant is not entitled to an instruction on self-defense until there is prima facie evidence to support the defense.\u00a0 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Albarelli<\/span>, 2016 VT 119, \u00b6\u00b6 12\u201318 (insufficient evidence to support self-defense charge where there was lack of evidence showing that defendant believed he was \u201cin peril of imminent bodily harm,\u201d and where defendant failed to show that his belief of imminent bodily harm was reasonable); <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Little<\/span>, 167 Vt. 577, 577-78 (1997) (mem.) (evidence did not support a charge); <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Darling<\/span>, 141 Vt. 358, 361-62 (1982) (any error in the charge was harmless, where the evidence did not support the charge); <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Cantrell<\/span>, 151 Vt. 130, 135-36 (1989) (in order to be entitled to an instruction on a defense, defendant must establish a prima facie case on its elements).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The committee has discussed this instruction with Prof. Tiersma.\u00a0 Instruction CR07-101 follows the traditional approach of explaining what self-defense is, and then explaining that the State must prove that the defendant did not act in self-defense.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Self-defense is measured against the act of the crime.\u00a0 The use of deadly force requires greater justification than the use of a lesser force.\u00a0 A court should exercise caution in selecting the appropriate instruction to use in a particular case.\u00a0 The general rules are summarized in <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Rounds<\/span>, 104 Vt. 442 (1932).\u00a0 Other cases discussing self-defense include <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Hoadley<\/span>, 147 Vt. 49, 54 (1986); <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Barrett<\/span>, 128 Vt. 458, 460-61 (1970); <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Dragon<\/span>, 128 Vt. 568, 572 (1970); <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Wilson<\/span>, 113 Vt. 524, 527 (1944).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>The Aggressor and Self-Defense<\/strong><strong>.\u00a0 <\/strong>CR07-091 reflects the general rule that an \u201caggressor\u201d may not act in lawful self-defense or defense of another. Note, however, that \u201cwhen the aggressor starts the fight using only nondeadly force, and is then met with unjustified deadly force . . . , the aggressor may reasonably defend himself against the unjustified deadly force.\u201d <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Trombley<\/span>, 174 Vt. 459, 464 (2002); <em>see also<\/em> W. LaFave, 2 Subst. Crim. L. \u00a7 10.4(e) (2d ed. Oct. 2017 update). Depending on the evidence presented, it may be necessary to account for that exception in the instructions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em><strong>Use of Deadly Force<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>The instruction on the use of deadly force in self-defense, CR07-111, includes an instruction that under certain circumstances, the law does not require the defendant to retreat.\u00a0 See <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Hatcher<\/span>, 167 Vt. 338, 348 (1997).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The instruction for self-defense, and defense of another, CR07-121, derives from the trial court\u2019s instructions in <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Verrinder<\/span>, 161 Vt. 250 (1993).\u00a0 However, these instructions have been shortened significantly.\u00a0 One of the changes is to eliminate an instruction on duty to retreat.\u00a0 In <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">State v. Hatcher<\/span>, 167 Vt. 338 (1997), the trial court instructed the jury that if the defendant honestly and reasonably believed \u201cit was immediately necessary to use deadly force to protect himself from an imminent threat of death or bodily injury, the law does not require him to retreat.\u201d\u00a0 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Id<\/span>. at 348.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The committee notes that \u201cdefense of another\u201d provides justification for a homicide only if the necessary relationship exists.\u00a0 See 13 V.S.A. \u00a7 2305(1).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CR07-101.\u00a0 Self Defense\u00a0 (11\/09\/07) CR07-091.\u00a0 The Aggressor and Self-Defense (06\/16\/03) CR07-111.\u00a0 Use of Deadly Force in Self Defense\u00a0 (07\/26\/19) CR07-121.\u00a0 Use of Deadly Force in Self Defense and in Defense of Another\u00a0 (06\/18\/03) Reporter&#8217;s Note Although characterized as a defense, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/?page_id=607\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":604,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-607","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=607"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/607\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1502,"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/607\/revisions\/1502"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vtjuryinstructions.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}