a defendant is entitled to a jury instruction on self-defense if there is "some evidence" of it
How later courts described this case
- a defendant is entitled to a jury instruction on self-defense if there is "some evidence" of it
- “[A] defendant is entitled to a jury instruction on a theory of the case that negates his guilt . . . if the instruction is supported by any evidence, however weak.” (quoting Graves v. United States, 554 A.2d 1145, 1147 (D.C. 1989))
- citation, internal quotation marks, brackets, and ellipsis omitted
Written by the judges who cited it.
The opinion
KING, Senior Judge,
dissenting.
Because evidence supporting a self-defense instruction was essentially nonexistent, I respectfully dissent from the majority’s reversal of the conviction in this case.