Wilson v. State

BOWEN, Presiding Judge.

Leonard Ray Wilson, Sr. was convicted of assault in the second degree and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment. That conviction is reversed because the trial court erroneously instructed the jury on the burden of proving self-defense.

The objectionable portions of the trial court’s oral charge appear in the record as follows:

“Now, at this point, I mentioned to you the defendant has pleaded not guilty by reason of self-defense. I want to try to explain to you what the defendant is required to — or what the law of self-defense includes.

“In other words, the — before you can…