Public Defense

Unreasonable to Respond to Attack

In holding that the proof was sufficient for a jury to find justification disproved, the Court held that even if a 17 year old African-American, who was walking with four African-Americans companions in a predominately Caucasian neighborhood, when five Caucasian men yelled racial epithets and initiated a physical confrontation,

actually believed that deadly physical force was necessary," it nevertheless supports a finding that defendant's belief was not reasonable under the circumstances (People v Wesley, 76 NY2d 555, 559; see People v Butera, 23 AD3d 1066, 1068, lv denied 6 NY3d 774, 832).

Full post as published by Indignant Indigent on March 20, 2008 (boomark / email).