On June 28, Gov. Tom Corbett signed into law Pennsylvania’s first legislative reform to the law of self-defense since 18 Pa. C.S.A. § 505 was enacted in 1972. House Bill 20 of the 2011 session, which became effective Aug. 27, modified 18 Pa. C.S.A. § 505, which, for more than 35 years, was the codification of common-law self-defense.
Under the 1972 version of § 505, in order to secure a self-defense jury instruction the facts had to establish that the slayer was the non-aggressor; possessed a reasonable fear of imminent death; and did not violate a duty to retreat. The new law renounces a mere codification of the common-law defense and substantively changes the self-defense landscape in four major ways.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]
