Alexander v. State

Alexander and fellow inmate Shreeves were convicted of assaulting a correctional officer; the defense's version of events was that another officer had grabbed Shreeves without provocation, a second officer, Tscheulin, began hitting Shreeves, and Alexander intervened, was struck by Tscheulin, and pinned him against the cell bars without striking back before returning to his cell. The trial court instructed the jury that Alexander's right to defend Shreeves depended entirely on whether Shreeves himself had a valid self-defense claim.