Squire v. State

The appellant was found guilty by a jury in the Criminal Court of Baltimore of assault with intent to murder and of the unlawful use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence; he was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment. He contends on appeal that the lower court, in its jury instructions, erroneously imposed upon him the burden of proving self-defense, thereby violating the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment by relieving the State of its burden of proving, beyond a reasonable doubt, every fact necessary to constitute the crime charged. He relies on In re Winship,…