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Criminal Law Keyed to Kaplan
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State v. Leidholm
Facts
Defendant and her husband had a troubled marriage. On August 6, 1981, the two had another violent fight and then went to bed. Defendant then stabbed her husband while he slept. At her trial for murder, Defendant claimed that she was acting in self-defense in response to years of abuse and in anticipation of future abuse. The trial court instructed the jury on an objective standard of reasonable doubt, the Defendant would escape liability only if a reasonable person would have believed herself to be in imminent danger. Defendant was convicted and appealed.
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