This Could Have been ruled self defense except in Utah you Can Not carry a concealed firearm when you are 15 years old. Remembering the case I was on the jury, hand the victim pulled his knife before he got shot we probably would have ruled it self defense.
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I was a stupid 15-year old once but not that stupid.
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I’m not sure what the brandishing laws are in Utah and how they might apply to knives instead of firearms? But if the knife guy felt reasonably threatened by the 3 teens he could have been justified in pulling the knife while trying to get away from them. Even if the teens weren’t illegally armed they still had a disparity of force due to their numbers.
If the 3 teens instigated the confrontation and were threatening violence I think they would not then be justified to use lethal force to defend themselves.
Given the teens were illegally armed my benefit of doubt would likely go to the knife guy’s account of the facts, baring other evidence to the contrary. Given the available facts in this story it is reasonable to believe the teens were acting in a criminal manner and presenting an imminent threat.
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Self Defense? Based on what is presented in that article, taken as true, no more no less…I’m going with “unlikely”
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This is not stupid, this is a gangbanger working hard to build up his cred. Jail, long long time, don’t care if he is 14 or 15.
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