Weston v. State

OPINION

MATTHEWS, Justice.

This petition for hearing concerns the question of whether Miller Weston was improperly denied an instruction on self-defense as justification to the murder charge for which he was convicted. The court of appeals upheld Weston’s conviction, ruling that any error was harmless. We reverse and order a new trial.

I. THE FACTS

On June 9, 1980, Miller Weston killed Donald Ahsoak in Barrow, Alaska. Weston'is 5’7" tall, weighed approximately 150 pounds, and was 26 years old at the time of the killing. Ahsoak was 60 years old and approximately the same height and weight as…