Source: http://academy.lawofselfdefense.com/jury_instruction/ct-2-8-4-defense-of-premises-%C2%A7-53a-20/
Timestamp: 2019-09-18 18:08:40
Document Index: 509906121

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 53', '§ 53', '§ 53', '§ 53', '§ 53', '§ 53']

CT 2.8-4 Defense of Premises — § 53a-20 – Law of Self Defense
CT 2.8-4 Defense of Premises — § 53a-20
A person is justified in the use of force against another person that would otherwise be illegal if (he/she) is acting in the defense of premises. It is a complete defense to certain crimes, including <insert applicable crimes and any lesser included offenses>. When, as in this case, evidence that the defendant’s actions were in defense of premises is introduced at trial, the state must not only prove beyond a reasonable doubt all the elements of the crime charged to obtain a conviction, but must also disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant acted in defense of premises. If the state fails to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant acted in defense of premises in accordance with my instructions, you must find the defendant not guilty of <insert applicable crimes and any lesser included offenses> despite the fact that you have found the elements of (that crime / those crimes) proved beyond a reasonable doubt. The defendant has no burden of proof whatsoever with respect to this defense.
a person in possession or control of premises, or a person who is licensed or privileged to be in or upon such premises, is justified in using reasonable physical force upon another person when and to the extent that (he/she) reasonably believes such to be necessary to prevent or terminate the commission or attempted commission of a criminal trespass by such other person in or upon such premises.
The term “premises” is generally defined as any real estate or building or any structure or vehicle or watercraft used for lodging persons overnight or for carrying on a business. [When a building consists of separate units, such as apartments or offices, each unit is a separate premises.]
Element 1 – Right to defend premises
Element 2 – From a criminal trespass
Element 3 – Actual belief that force was necessary
The third element is that the defendant actually — that is, honestly and sincerely — believed that <insert name of decedent/complainant> was trespassing on the premises at <identify location of premises> and was refusing to leave after having been asked to. The defendant must have actually believed that the use of physical force was necessary to terminate the trespass.
“Physical force” means actual physical force or violence or superior physical strength. Physical force may not be used, however, if it reasonably appears that the trespasser is leaving or about to flee, nor may it be used once the trespasser has left the premises, for this would no longer be defensive force, but rather retaliatory and unlawful force.2
The fourth element is that the defendant’s belief was reasonable, and not irrational or unreasonable under the circumstances. You must ask whether a reasonable person in the defendant’s situation, viewing the circumstances from the defendant’s point of view, would have shared the belief. In other words, was the defendant’s belief that the use of physical force was necessary to prevent or terminate the criminal trespass of <insert name of decedent/complainant> reasonable under the circumstances.
The defense of premises against a criminal trespasser allows only the use of reasonable physical force. The law distinguishes physical force from deadly physical force, and allows the use of deadly physical force only in limited circumstances.3 The state is claiming that the physical force used by the defendant to defend the premises against the criminal trespass of <insert name of decedent/complainant> was deadly physical force.
“Physical force” means actual physical force or violence or superior physical strength. The term “deadly physical force” is defined by statute as physical force which can reasonably be expected to cause death or serious physical injury. Under this definition, the physical force used by the defendant need not actually have caused a death or a serious physical injury in order to be considered deadly physical force, nor need it have been expected or intended by the defendant to result in such serious consequences.
Instead, what determines whether the defendant used deadly physical force is whether the force actually used by the defendant could reasonably have been expected to cause death or serious physical injury.
“Physical injury” is defined by statute as impairment of physical condition or pain, and “serious physical injury” is defined as physical injury which creates a substantial risk of death, or which causes serious disfigurement, serious impairment of health or serious loss or impairment of the function of any bodily organ.
[<Include as warranted by evidence:> Deadly physical force may be used in defense of premises in specific circumstances.
A person may use deadly physical force in defense of premises in order to prevent an attempt4 by the trespasser to commit (arson / any crime of violence).5 <Insert appropriate definition:>
A crime of violence is one in which physical force is exerted for the purpose of violating, injuring, damaging, or abusing person or property.
A person may use deadly physical force when (he/she) reasonably believes that deadly physical force is necessary to prevent or end a forcible unlawful entry into (his/her) dwelling or place of work, and for the sole purpose of such prevention or termination. [Dwelling means a building which is usually occupied by a person at night, whether or not that person is actually present.]
Deadly physical force is allowed in (this / these) situation[s] even when the person has no fear that (he/she) will be harmed by the trespasser, unless the state proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the circumstances in question did not occur.]
1 General Statutes §§ 53a-107, 53a-108, and 53a-109 define criminal trespassing. The defendant’s request for an instruction on this defense should specify the degree of criminal trespass that he or she is claiming occurred. If the elements of some degree of criminal trespass are not present, then this defense does not apply. See State v. Brunette, 92 Conn. App. 440, 448-49 (2005).
2 State v. Ghiloni, 35 Conn. Sup. 570 (App. Sess. 1979), cert. denied, 175 Conn. 758 (1978); see also State v. Taxiltaridis, 2 Conn. App. 617, 619-20 (1984).
3 Section 53a-20 (1) also permits a person to use deadly physical force “in defense of a person as prescribed in section 53a-19.” In such a case, the defense would not be defense of premises, but defense of person. See Self-Defense and Defense of Others, Instruction 2.8-1, and Duty to Retreat, Instruction 2.8-3.
4 The existing statutory scheme allows deadly force to protect premises against attempted arson. Criminal attempt is defined at General Statutes § 53a-49, arson at General Statutes §§ 53a-111 through 53a-113. Under this statutory scheme, therefore, one may justifiably use deadly force against someone in the act of setting a fire in violation of our arson statutes, but not one second after the blaze has begun. This result, while at first glance anomalous, is consistent with the law of self-defense, which allows deadly force only to prevent death or serious bodily injury, or to prevent a forcible entry into or a violent felony within a dwelling. Any other interpretation would result in a retaliatory and unlawful use of force.
By Andrew Branca| 2013-01-14T14:18:21+00:00	January 14th, 2013|Comments Off on CT 2.8-4 Defense of Premises — § 53a-20