Claim Self-Defense While Committing A Crime? Sure

I often run across the misconception that in order to claim self-defense it’s a necessary condition that the defender be “white as the driven snow,” and certainly not be engaged in any unlawful activity of his own at the time.

While being utterly innocent of any misconduct of any kind is certainly helpful in a general way in any kind of criminal defense, it’s explicitly not a required condition of a claim of self-defense.

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