State ex rel. Thomas v. Duncan

William Reagan (defendant), claiming he fled a road-rage pursuit that made him fear for his life, drove at high speed, ran a red light, and fatally collided with a third party's vehicle; charged with manslaughter, Reagan sought to introduce evidence of the chase to negate the mens rea element of recklessness, and the trial court permitted this despite the state's objection that justification defenses like necessity were statutorily unavailable for reckless killings of innocent third parties under Arizona law. The state brought a special action seeking to reverse that evidentiary ruling.