P. v. Ramirez CA4/1
Defendant Victor Anthony Ramirez appeals from a judgment of conviction entered after a jury convicted him of voluntary manslaughter resulting from an altercation in front of a bar during which Ramirez lethally stabbed another bar patron. On appeal, Ramirez challenges his conviction on the ground that the trial court erred in responding to a jury question regarding the meaning of "provocation." Specifically, Ramirez contends that in responding to the jury's question regarding provocation, the trial court failed to tell the jury that provocation is relevant not only to the offense of voluntary manslaughter, but that it may also be relevant to the complete defense of reasonable, perfect self-defense. Ramirez maintains that by not mentioning reasonable, perfect self-defense in answering the jury's question, the trial court improperly focused the jury on the offense of voluntary manslaughter and away from a consideration of provocation in the context of a complete defense
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