State of Minnesota v. Robert Lee Baker, III

Syllabus

The proper standard for determining whether a defendant is entitled to a jury instruction on self-defense or defense of others is whether the defendant produced reasonable evidence to support their claim, and, if so, whether such evidence was sufficient to shift the burden to the State to disprove the elements beyond a reasonable doubt. A defendant's burden is satisfied if they have presented sufficient evidence from which a reasonable juror could have found defendant acted in self-defense. Applying the proper standard, appellant was entitled to his requested jury instructions on self-defense and defense of others, and the district court's failure to give these instructions was not harmless. Reversed and remanded.