HAWAI’I JURY INSTRUCTIONS (HAWJIC)

HI 7.01B Self-Defense When Only Force Is At Issue. 

Self-defense is a defense to the charge(s) of (specify charge and its included offenses).  The burden is on the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the force used by the defendant was not justified.  If the prosecution does not meet its burden, then you must find the defendant not guilty.

The use of force upon or toward another person is justified if the defendant reasonably believes that force is immediately necessary to protect himself/herself on the present occasion against the use of unlawful force by the other person.  The reasonableness of the defendant’s belief that the use of protective force was immediately necessary shall be determined from the viewpoint of a reasonable person in the defendant’s position under the circumstances of which the defendant was aware or as the defendant reasonably believed them to be.  The defendant may estimate the necessity for the use of force under the circumstances as he/she reasonably believes them to be when the force is used, without [retreating] [surrendering possession] [doing any other act that he/she has no legal duty to do] [abstaining from any lawful action].

[The use of force is not justifiable to resist an arrest which the defendant knows is being made by a law enforcement officer, even if the arrest is unlawful, but is justifiable if the officer threatens to use or uses unlawful force.]

[The use of force is not justifiable to resist force used by the occupier or possessor of property or by another person on his/her behalf, where the defendant knows that the person using the force is doing so under a claim of right to protect the property, but is justifiable if the defendant [is a public officer acting in the performance of his duties or a person lawfully assisting the officer therein] [is a person making or assisting in a lawful arrest] [reasonably believes that force is necessary to protect himself/herself against death or serious bodily injury.]

[The use of confinement as force is justifiable only if the defendant takes all reasonable measures to terminate the confinement as soon as he/she knows that he/she safely can, unless the person confined has been arrested on a charge of crime.]

“Force” means any bodily impact, restraint, or confinement, or the threat thereof

“Unlawful force” means force which is used without the consent of the person against whom it is directed and the use of which would constitute an unjustifiable use of force.  A person cannot consent to the infliction of death, serious bodily injury, or substantial bodily injury.

“Serious bodily injury” means bodily injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.

“Substantial bodily injury” means bodily injury which causes: [A major avulsion,  laceration, or penetration of the skin]; [a burn of at least second degree severity]; [a bone  fracture]; [a serious concussion]; [or a tearing, rupture, or corrosive damage to the  esophagus, viscera, or other internal organs].

“Bodily injury” means physical pain, illness, or any impairment of physical condition.

[Self-defense is not available for the offense(s) of (specify any offense in which the  requisite state of mind is either recklessness or negligence) if the prosecution proves that:

(1) the defendant was reckless in believing that he/she was justified in using force against the other person; or

(2) the defendant was reckless in acquiring or failing to acquire any knowledge or belief which was material to the justifiability of his/her use of force against the other person.]