Opinion ID: 2351872
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Competing Harms

Text: Otherwise criminal conduct is justified if the desirability and urgency of avoiding imminent physical harm to the defendant or to another outweighs, according to the ordinary standards of reasonableness, the harm sought to be prevented by the statute defining the crime charged. 17-A M.R.S.A. § 103(1) (1983). See also State v. Moore, 577 A.2d 348, 350 (Me.1990) (must be evidence conduct was necessary because of specific and imminent threat of harm to defendant or another leaving no reasonable alternative to violating the law). Contrary to Christine's contention, there is no evidence that she did not have a reasonable alternative to engaging in the charged conduct to protect herself, Steven, or Small from a specific and imminent threat of harm.