United States v. Slocum
United States District Court for the Central District of California
486 F. Supp. 2d 1104 (2007)
- Written by Heather Whittemore, JD
Facts
Wayne Bridgewater and Henry Michael Houston (defendants), federal prisoners who were members of the Aryan Brotherhood, were charged with murder under Pennsylvania and federal law after stabbing to death two fellow inmates who were members of a rival gang, the D.C. Blacks. The killings allegedly occurred during a gang war between the Aryan Brotherhood and the D.C. Blacks. Evidence showed that the victims were unarmed and in nonaggressive stances at the time they were stabbed. There was also no evidence that the victims had ever attacked or threatened Bridgewater or Houston. At trial, Bridgewater and Houston requested that the jury be instructed on self-defense, arguing that they had acted in self-defense when they had stabbed their victims.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Carter, J.)
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