California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from The People v. Graham, B218439, No. YA072476 (Cal. App. 2010):
Appellant contends that the trial court committed reversible error in failing to instruct the jury on the claim-of-right defense. Appellant did not request an instruction on the claim-of-right defense. However, "[i]t is well settled that a defendant has a right to have the trial court, on its own initiative, give a jury instruction on any affirmative defense for which the record contains substantial evidence [citation]...." (People v.
Page 7
Salas (2006) 37 Cal.4th 967, 982.)
The above passage should not be considered legal advice. Reliable answers to complex legal questions require comprehensive research memos. To learn more visit www.alexi.com.