State of Arizona, Appellant v. Adam Scott King, Appellee

Summary

The court held that Arizona’s justification statute does not require a defendant’s fear of imminent physical harm to be the sole motivation for using force. Because evidence that the victim struck King with a full two-liter bottle constituted at least slight evidence of self-defense, King was entitled to a self-defense instruction, and the trial court properly granted a new trial. The court vacated the appellate decision and affirmed the order granting a new trial.