State v. Johnson
State v. Johnson, 2025 UT App 13 (Christiansen Forster, J.)
Criminal
The Utah Court of Appeals held:
- The district court exceeded its discretion in denying Defendant’s request to instruct the jury on self-defense, and the denial harmed Defendant.
- Judicial tip: The court must provide an instruction on an affirmative defense if the evidence presented provides any reasonable basis upon which a jury could conclude the defense applies. Once that showing has been made, the jury, not the court, is tasked with determining whether the defendant’s actions satisfied each element of the defense.