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Wis JI-Criminal 815

Privilege: Self-Defense: Not Available to One Who Provokes an Attack: Regaining the Privilege

activein force · 2020-07-01 – presentas-observed

[ADD THE FOLLOWING TO WIS JI-CRIMINAL 800, 801, OR 805 WHEN

SUPPORTED BY THE EVIDENCE.]

Provocation

You should also consider whether the defendant provoked the attack. A person who

engages in unlawful conduct 1 of a type likely to provoke others to attack, and who does

provoke an attack, is not allowed to use or threaten force in self-defense against that

attack.

[USE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS THAT ARE SUPPORTED

BY THE EVIDENCE.]

[However, if the attack which follows causes the person reasonably to believe that he

or she is in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm, he or she may lawfully act in

self-defense. But the person may not use or threaten force intended or likely to cause

death unless he or she reasonably believes he or she has exhausted every other reasonable

means to escape from or otherwise avoid death or great bodily harm.]

[A person who provokes an attack may regain the right to use or threaten force if the

person in good faith withdraws from the fight and gives adequate notice of the

withdrawal to his assailant.]

[A person who provokes an attack whether by lawful or unlawful conduct with intent

to use such an attack as an excuse to cause death or great bodily harm to another person is

not entitled to use or threaten force in self-defense.]

History

Wis JI-Criminal 815 (2020). Release No. 58, 7/2020. © 2020, Regents, Univ. of Wis. Prepared by the Wisconsin Criminal Jury Instructions Committee of the Wisconsin Judicial Conference with the University of Wisconsin Law School; posted by the Wisconsin State Law Library with the University's permission.

Provenance

Source
wilawlibrary.gov
Retrieved
2026-09-24
Edition
2026-09-24
Content hash
35e1f17516f5621b694b4552852e1c92596330c5672ffe8f9e7aff00fa402373
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