People v. Curtis
Michigan Supreme Court
18 N.W. 385 (1884)
Relevant factsFree
Curtis (defendant) shot and killed Wilson, who had been arguing with and threatening Curtis's brother, even though the brother had been partly at fault for starting the altercation; Curtis was convicted of second-degree murder after the trial court instructed the jury that Curtis was justified in the killing only if his brother had been entirely blameless in causing the dispute, and Curtis appealed.
IssueFree
Whether a defendant may use deadly force against a person to save a family member's life, even if the family member was partly at fault for starting the trouble.