State of Arizona v. Antajuan Stewart Carson Jr.

JUSTICE TIMMER, opinion of the Court:

¶ 1 Our courts have consistently prohibited a defendant from simultaneously claiming self-defense and asserting a misidentification defense. We now disavow that approach. We hold that if some evidence supports a finding of self-defense, the prosecution must prove its absence, and the trial court must give a requested self-defense jury instruction, even when the defendant asserts a misidentification defense.

BACKGROUND

¶ 2 We view the evidence in the light most favorable to a defendant's request for a self-defense instruction. See State v. King , 225 Ariz. 87…