St. Pierre v. State

*889OPINION

By the Court,

Manoukian, J.:

In this appeal, appellant seeks reversal assigning error, inter alia, to alleged prosecutorial and police improprieties occurring prior to as well as during trial, juror irregularities, and the severity of his sentence. Nevertheless, the single issue warranting our consideration and which impels us to order a new trial is whether the jury instruction on self-defense improperly shifted the burden of proof of an essential element of the charge of murder upon the appellant.1 We hold that it does, and for the reasons hereinafter expressed, reverse.

Appellant,…