United States v. Taveras

SECOND AMENDED MEMORANDUM AND ORDER SELF DEFENSE

JACK B. WEINSTEIN, Senior District Judge:

I. Introduction

Defendant Humberto Pepin Taveras plans to present a self defense claim in his forthcoming homicide trial. The government seeks a death sentence for defendant’s killing of two of his associates during the course of disputes over the conduct of an illegal drug trafficking enterprise. Subject to reconsideration based on testimony elicited at trial, defendant may rely on self defense.

Were this a litigation where defendant’s life was not at stake, the probable evidence of self defense might be…