If you have recently defended or stood up for yourself or others, you may be curious to know what exactly is considered self-defense in criminal law in Indiana. The good news is that the state of Indiana does support the fact that individuals have the right to stand up and defend themselves and others from acts of violence or physical harm. However, you should know and be aJuware that there are certain limits to self-defense in criminal law. Talk to an experienced Indianapolis criminal defense attorney from Wruble Law if you have been charged with a crime.
Defining Self-Defense
Cornell Law School defines self-defense as “using force to protect oneself from an attempted injury by another.” Self-defense is generally when a person is being hurt or threatened by another person, and they decide to fight back to prevent the person from hurting them or others. This means you cannot claim self-defense if you intentionally strike another person who was not doing anything to you or anyone else.
What Does Indiana’s Laws Say About Self-Defense?
Indiana Code 35-41-3 explains that “people have the right to defend themselves and third parties from physical harm and crime.” Therefore, individuals in Indiana are “justified in using reasonable force against any other person to protect the person or a third person from what the person reasonably believes to be the imminent use of unlawful force.”
Individuals are also given the right to use deadly force if it is believed that it will prevent injury to oneself or another person. Indiana’s law concludes with “No person, employer, or estate of a person in this state shall be placed in legal jeopardy of any kind whatsoever for protecting the person or a third person by reasonable means necessary.”
How Can You Successfully Prove Self-Defense in Indiana?
Since every legal case is unique and different, each self-defense case varies from person to person. Therefore, to successfully prove self-defense in Indiana, you must speak with a knowledgeable, experienced, and skilled Indianapolis criminal defense attorney who can show that you acted in self-defense. Here are a few different ways to show that you have a valid self-defense case:
- You were in your home or another place that you had every right to be.
- You did not provoke or start the fight or violence that erupted.
- You reasonably believed that you or another person were in danger or going to be killed.
- The force you used was reasonable due to the emergency or urgent danger of the altercation.
Call an Indianapolis Criminal Defense Attorney Today
If you were recently charged with a crime that you believe was self-defense, please contact the criminal defense lawyers at Wruble Law immediately. Our team will investigate your case’s facts, review your legal options with you, and assist you with developing a strong defense argument. We take these cases very seriously and will do everything we can to help you prove that you acted in self-defense. Contact our firm today to schedule your first initial meeting.