Booker v. State

Undercofler, Justice.

In these granted certioraris, the Court of Appeals held that under State v. Stonaker, 236 Ga. 1 (222 SE2d 354) (1976), it was not error for the trial court to fail to charge on the affirmative defense of justification absent a written request. Booker v. State, 156 Ga. App. 40 (1980). Stonaker, supra, is inapposite as it applies only to charges on lesser included offenses. The applicable law is set out in Lavender v. State, 234 Ga. 608 (216 SE2d 855) (1975). If an affirmative defense is raised by the evidence, including the defendants’ own statements, the trial court must…