Case Name: William T. Foss v. Clarence Smith
Court: Vermont Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Vermont
Decision Date: 1903-12-03
Citations: 76 Vt. 113
Docket Number: 
Parties: William T. Foss v. Clarence Smith.
Judges: Present: Rowell, C. J., Tyler, Munson, Start, Stanford, and Haselton, JJ.
Reporter: Vermont Reports
Volume: 76
Pages: 113–114

Head Matter:
William T. Foss v. Clarence Smith.
October Term, 1903.
Present: Rowell, C. J., Tyler, Munson, Start, Stanford, and Haselton, JJ.
Opinion filed December 3, 1903.
Assault and Battery — Self Defense.
When one is assaulted he may immediately repel the assault, using no more force than in the circumstances reasonably appears to him to be necessary.
Trespass por Assaurt and Battery. Pleas, the general issue, and son assault demesne. Trial by jury at the December Term, 1902, Caledonia County, Watson, J., presiding. Plaintiff’s motion' to direct a verdict overruled. Verdict and judgment for the defendant. The plaintiff excepted. This is all the reporter knows about the case except what appears in the opinion.
Harlmid B. Howe and Porter & Thompson for the plaintiff.
Dunnett & Slack for the defendant.

Opinion:
Stafford, J.
Trespass for assault and battery. Plea that plaintiff committed the first assault and that defendant used no more force than was necessary in self defense.
The' only exception relied upon is to the refusal to direct a verdict. The plaintiff claims that the defendant's own testimony showed that, after he had completely passed the plaintiff in the highway, and when he might have driven on without danger of receiving further injury, he came back to where the plaintiff was and committed the assault for which the action is brought. Upon reading the testimony we are not satisfied that the claim is well founded, but think, rather, that the view of it most favorable to the defendant is that although his horses had passed the plaintiff's sled before stopping, he himself was practically opposite the plaintiff, and on being assaulted by the latter immediately repelled the assault, using no more force than in1 the circumstances reasonably appeared to him to be necessary. r N
Judgment affirmed.