Shehyn v. United States

FICKLING, Associate Judge:

Appellant was convicted by a jury of assault, D.C.Code § 22-504. After the court charged the jury on assault and self-defense, the instruction set forth in the margin 1 was given and objected to on the ground that it did not correctly state the law on the defense of one’s property. The objection was well taken. However, we hold it was harmless error in the context of the case as a whole. 2

Mr. Blanchard, the complainant, and his wife, who were next door neighbors, of appellant, went upon appellant’s parking lot to retrieve their pet cat which had escaped from their…