People v. Goetz

Case brief summary

Facts

Bernhard Goetz shot four young men on a subway after one asked him for money. He later told police he meant to hurt them and wished he had more bullets.

Procedural history

A grand jury charged Goetz with attempted murder and other crimes. Lower courts dismissed the charges, saying the prosecutor gave wrong self-defense instructions. The state appealed to New York's highest court.

Issue

Does the self-defense law require only that the shooter personally believed deadly force was necessary, or must that belief also be one a reasonable person would have had in the same situation?

Holding

The shooter must honestly believe deadly force is necessary, and that belief must also be reasonable. The prosecutor's instructions were correct, so the charges are reinstated.

Reasoning

New York's self-defense laws have always required reasonableness, not just personal belief. Allowing a purely personal standard would excuse people merely for claiming they felt justified, even irrationally.

Opinions

Majority (Wachtler, C.J.): Self-defense requires both an honest personal belief in the need for deadly force and an objectively reasonable belief, so the charges must be reinstated.