SelfDefense

$18.75 Million Awarded to Family in St. Louis Police Shooting Case, Jury Rejects Self-Defense Claim

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St. Louis, MO — A St. Louis federal court jury has awarded nearly $20 million to the family of Mansur Ball-Bey, an 18-year-old who was fatally shot in the back by police officers during a 2015 raid. The officers involved in the shooting were not criminally charged, but they have been held civilly liable for the young man’s death. The incident, which has drawn attention to issues of police conduct and accountability, occurred when two St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers executed a search warrant at Ball-Bey’s home in the Fountain Park neighborhood on August … Read more

Jury Rejects Self-Defense Claim, Convicts Man of First-Degree Murder in Anniversary Trip Shooting

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BURLINGTON, Vt. — A New Hampshire man was found guilty of first-degree murder on Friday following a tense trial that captivated the community, focusing on the tragic death of his young wife during what was supposed to be a celebratory trip. Joseph Ferlazzo, 44, was convicted by a Chittenden County jury for the brutal killing of 22-year-old Emily Ferlazzo in October 2021. The couple had embarked on a journey to Vermont to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. They met with relatives in Bolton, but the trip took a fatal turn when an argument escalated inside … Read more

Supreme Court Rules on Self-Defense Claim, Sets Precedent for Future Jury Instructions

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In a pivotal legal decision that may redefine self-defense rights and restitution laws in Minnesota, the Supreme Court recently overturned a lower court’s ruling while affirming another, setting a significant precedent in two separate but equally compelling court cases. In the first case, involving defendant John Baker, the Supreme Court ruled that the District Court had erred by not allowing jury instructions on self-defense and defense of others. Baker had faced charges of second-degree murder following a confrontation where he fatally shot an individual who, alongside an accomplice, had robbed him and his girlfriend at … Read more

Minnesota Supreme Court Orders New Trial, Cites Exclusion of Self-Defense Claim in Eagan Hotel Shooting Case

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Eagan, MN — A man previously convicted of second-degree intentional murder for a fatal shooting that occurred outside an Eagan hotel has been awarded a new trial. The Minnesota Supreme Court has overturned the previous judgment, citing the trial court’s error in excluding self-defense claims from jury instructions. Robert Baker was found guilty in the 2020 death of Maurice Anderson. According to the case file, on the evening of Nov. 9, 2020, Baker was allegedly robbed at gunpoint near the hotel. Initially, he denied any involvement in Anderson’s subsequent shooting. However, Baker later disclosed to … Read more