Court Opinion

ID: 9790112
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 01:46:17.573994+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:37:26.271507
License: Public Domain

Williams, J.
(concurring)—I concur in affirmance of the judgment because the defendant was afforded an eminently fair trial and is guilty. Concerning the instruction on self-defense,8 I believe it comports with the law and allows the *924defendant full opportunity to argue his theory of the case. The instruction does not contain the fatal constitutional error found in State v. McCullum, 98 Wn.2d 484, 656 P.2d 1064 (1983), casting the burden of proof of self-defense upon the defendant.
In the future, I understand that where there is evidence of an alleged criminal act being done with just cause or excuse (RCW 9A.04.110(12)), the State has the burden of proving otherwise beyond a reasonable doubt and the jury must be so instructed. McCullum. Thus, where there is an issue of consent, self-defense or the like raised by the evidence, an element of the offense is that it was done without just cause or excuse.9
For the purposes of this case the following from McCullum at pages 500-01 applies:
Since self-defense is inconsistent with the crime of murder in the first degree, proof of the elements of that crime beyond a reasonable doubt necessarily disproves the presence of a lawful killing in self-defense.

 "It is a complete defense to a charge of assault in the second degree or of simple assault that the force used was lawful as defined in this instruction.
"The use of force upon or toward the person of another is lawful when used by a person about to be injured in preventing or attempting to prevent an offense against the person, and when the force is not more than is necessary.
"A person may employ such force as a reasonably prudent person would use under the same or similar circumstances as they appeared to the defendant at the time." Instruction 8.

This makes for more precise definition in the elements instruction which I suggest might properly contain this addition:
"To convict the defendant of the crime of assault in the second degree, each of the following elements of the crime must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt: "(1) That on or about the 1st day of March 1980,
" (2) The defendant knowingly inflicted grievous bodily harm upon [the victim] without a weapon; and
11 (3) The defendant acted without just cause or excuse; and
"(4) That the acts occurred in King County, Washington." Instruction 4.