Bonner v. State

Curtis Bonner regularly beat his wife Barbara Bonner (defendant), including with his fists, pushing her into walls, and once firing a gun at her; Barbara repeatedly called police and started but abandoned divorce proceedings whenever Curtis apologized. One night, after Curtis had been drinking and began hitting her, Barbara fought back with a knife and killed him. The State (plaintiff) charged her with manslaughter. At trial, Barbara sought to introduce expert testimony on battered woman's syndrome to support her self-defense claim, but the trial court excluded it, worried it would confuse the jury; Barbara was convicted and appealed.