State v. Turner

BRITT, Judge.

All of defendant’s assignments of error relate to the court’s instructions to the jury. One of the challenged instructions reads as follows:

Now, Members of the Jury, the burden is on the defendant to prove self-defense to the satisfaction of the Jury and to prove he used no more force than was or reasonably appeared necessary under the circumstances to protect himself from death or great bodily harm.

The court committed error in placing the burden on defendant to prove self-defense. In State v. Fletcher, 268 N.C. 140, 142, 150 S.E. 2d 54, 56 (1966), the court, speaking through *35Just…