State v. Vassar

The defendant, Ethan Vassar, was convicted by a jury in Superior Court {Lynn, C.J.) of provocation manslaughter for the shooting death of his brother, Nicholas Vassar. See RSA 630:2,1 (1996). He appeals, challenging the trial court’s instruction to the jury not to consider the justification defenses of self-defense and defense of another and its failure to admit evidence of the brother’s prior violent acts. We reverse and remand.

The jury could have found the following facts. The defendant shot his brother on June 20, 2004. The events immediately leading up to the shooting were as follows.…