Opinion ID: 1757749
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: the trial court erred in rejecing defendant's offered istruction as to justificatiochoice of evils.

Text: The appellant offered an instruction on justification-choice of evils. We think the matter of justification was treated as an affirmative defense at the trial. However, justification is not an affirmative defense. Ark.Stat.Ann. § 41-110 (Repl. 1977) sets out the burden of proof as it relates to defenses and affirmative defenses as well as presumption. Justification is not listed as an affirmative defense. It becomes a defense when any evidence is offered tending to support its existence and such evidence may be introduced by either side. Thomas v. State, 265 Ark. ___, 583 S.W.2d 32 (1979). It appears that appellant would have been entitled to rely upon justification as defined in Ark.Stat.Ann. § 41-506, (Repl. 1977). However, justification as argued under Ark.Stat.Ann. § 41-504, (Repl. 1977), does not appear to be appropriate in a charge of homicide. We have found no case in any jurisdiction which holds that the choice of evils justification has been applied to a homicide case when self-defense is argued by the accused.