United States v. Iturralde-Aponte

OPINION OF THE COURT

At his general court-martial in Germany in February 1972, the appellant faced a charge of unpremeditated murder. In an effort to support his contention that he had inflicted the fatal wound on the victim in his own self-defense, the appellant through his defense counsel requested the trial counsel to call two witnesses — the former psychologist and the former probation officer of the deceased — for the purpose of establishing the violent character of the victim and his propensity to engage in acts of violence. When the request was denied on the basis that the subject…