Poliak v. Adcock

Tennessee Court of Appeals

2002 WL 31109737 (2002)

Relevant factsFree

James Adcock (defendant) woke his daughter's live-in boyfriend, Matthew Poliak (plaintiff), by cursing at him and, as Poliak began getting out of bed with no aggressive gesture, struck him with a two-by-four, causing severe injuries, before telling Poliak he would kill him if he was still there when Adcock returned. Poliak sued for assault and battery; Adcock admitted the strike but claimed self-defense, and the trial court granted Poliak's motion for partial summary judgment dismissing that defense.

IssueFree

Whether, to establish the affirmative defense of self-defense to an assault claim, a defendant must prove he reasonably believed he was about to be seriously injured.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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