Self Defense: Legal Definition And Consequences

In our society has been through tremendous changes and is now living in line with the civilized standards, however, it is still true to say that we all live in a dog eat dog world. That is right – the number of crimes that people commit grows on yearly basis. There are plenty of reasons for such violence – people these days lack decent employment opportunities, they live in a genuinely fast paced society, where most of us are depressed and frustrated – the anti-utopia model is now turning into reality.

The law enforcement authorities do their best to fight with the crime and people, who commit it. With that said, in some cases everything is not as straightforward as it may seem at first. There is the notion of self-defense – the usage of force applied against the imminent danger. Imminent is the key word – in case you had actual reasons to believe that you were in danger, you had every right to strike back. In case you were acting in line with the self-defense, you may have the case dismissed whatsoever, since you reacted exactly like any other reasonable person would.

Still, one must also understand that striking a person is not always considered self-defense. For instance, a guy from your office is frustrated with some of your actions. So he sits down and writes an angry message to you. He says that he is going to kill you eventually. You do not hesitate, take your gun, go to this colleague of yours and shoot him on sight. This is not considered a self-defense. Your actions were not reasonable, the man only wrote that he is going to harm you and it does not mean that he would necessarily do so.

Another good example – you are in a bar, drinking your beer, when all of a sudden some drunken guy comes to you and says that he is going to kill you, but first he is going to go and buy more beer. He leaves and returns in a couple of minutes, so you strike him with your bottle. Again, you had other options – the guy left for some time and you could simply leave the establishment.

In order for the self-defense to stand in court, you must have used reasonable amount of force when striking back. Let’s imagine that some guy hit you in the stomach. You take out your gun and kill him on the spot. This is not reasonable self-defense. Now, if you would hit the guy back, it would be considered self-defense and you would be able to say that you were right to do so.

Regardless of how violent the case may have been, it is crucial to get in touch with a qualified as well as experienced defense attorney, who would be able to prove that you were acting reasonably, based on your instincts and that you had every right to strike back, sine your health and your lifestyle were at stake. Only a professional Los Angeles criminal defense attorney would have what it takes to help you get out of this situation quickly and effectively. Even if you are 100% certain that you were right to hit a person, it is still important to have a good lawyer by your side to help you deal with the prosecution and your opponent’s lawyers. Only then can you count on successful outcome that will not disappoint you.