Self-Defense

Unless otherwise indicated, all indented material is copied directly from the court’s opinion.

Decisions of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. McKinney, No. M2020-00950-CCA-R3-CD (Tenn. Ct. Cr. App. Jan 5, 2022)

Whether the defendant acted in self-defense is a question of fact for the jury. State v. Clifton, 880 S.W.2d 737, 743 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1994) (citing State v. Williams, 784 S.W.2d 660 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1989)). “Thus, in the context of judicial review of the jury verdict, in order to prevail, the defendant must show that the evidence relative to justification, such as self-defense, raises, as a matter of law, a reasonable doubt as to his conduct being criminal.” Id.