State v. Bea

¶1 Daniel Bea was convicted of first degree assault after he seized a kitchen knife and stabbed Carlos Cruz at Mr. Cruz’s home, seconds after guests had broken up a fistfight between the two. Mr. Bea claimed to have acted in self-defense and argues on appeal that the evidence did not support the trial court’s decision to give a first aggressor instruction, which would negate his self-defense theory if the jury determined that he provoked the actions of Mr. Cruz. He also takes issue with how the jury was instructed on a deadly weapon special verdict form based on State v. Bashaw1 and claims…