CrimProf Shaun Martin Discusses the Spousal Abuse Defense Law

SignOnSanDiego.com: University of San Diego School of Law CrimProf Shaun Martin recently discussed the 2002 California law that allows judges to reconsider cases in which defendants were precluded from arguing what is commonly known as battered-spouse syndrome.

“The latest movement is a recognition that these defenses could have helped a jury determine the degree of the crime,” said Shaun Martin, a criminal law professor at the University of San Diego. “It is an attempt to correct what some people argue is a possible injustice.”

The courts can expect a surge in such cases because a law that took effect last year allows the defense to be used not only in killings but also in any violent felony. Seven Women have been freed due to the new law so far. Rest of Article. . . [Mark Godsey]