People v. Owens

After a jury trial, defendant was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to the penitentiary for a period of from 5 to 10 years. On appeal, defendant contends that the State failed to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that defendant’s fear that he would suffer great bodily harm at the hands of his aggressor was unreasonable. The Criminal Code provision in point is “Article 7 — Justifiable Use of Force; Exoneration,” which provides:

“§ 7-1. Use of Force in Defense of Person.] A person is justified in the use of force against another when and to the extent that he reasonably…