Joiner v. State

Michael D. Joiner v. State of Maryland, No. 1949, Sept. Term, 2023. Opinion filed on May 30, 2025, by Wells, C.J. CRIMINAL LAW – DEFENSE – HABITATION Under Maryland case law, the trial court must give a specific instruction to the jury when three conditions are met: (1) the instruction is a correct statement of the law, (2) the instruction is applicable under the facts of the case, and (3) the contents of the instruction were not fairly covered elsewhere in jury instructions actually given. The defense of habitation applies when a defendant has used deadly force in response to a reasonable…