Tatman v. Cordingly

Supreme Court of Wyoming

672 P.2d 1286 (1983)

Relevant factsFree

After Tatman (plaintiff) ran over Cordingly's (defendant) motorcycle and struck the first blow in a violent brawl, Tatman tried to reach his rifle, causing Cordingly to believe his life was in danger and fight back, seriously injuring Tatman; the jury found Tatman committed battery but that Cordingly acted in self-defense, based on an instruction covering the subjective belief requirement but not the objective-reasonableness requirement.

IssueFree

Whether a person who acts in self-defense must both believe that he or she is in danger and have a reasonable belief.

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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