People v. Hunter

Defendant appeals from his jury conviction of murder in the first degree. His principal claim of reversible error is that the trial judge’s charge to the jury improperly deprived him of jury consideration of his defense of self-defense.

Defendant Hunter was tried together with a male codefendant, James Sacchetti, and defendant Evelyn Lari, Hunter’s girl friend, for the murder of Elmer Jones. Hunter claimed at the trial that he killed Jones in self-defense when Jones aimed a revolver at him during the course of an altercation while he ánd Miss Lari were visiting Jones in his home. Miss Lari,…