New York Court of Appeals
The People of the State of New York v. Willie Miller
May 11, 197639 N.Y.2d 543
Summary
The New York Court of Appeals reversed the Appellate Division and ordered a new trial, holding that a defendant may introduce evidence of a victim's specific prior violent acts known to the defendant when such evidence is reasonably related to the justification issue. The court modified the longstanding rule excluding specific acts, emphasizing the relevance to the defendant's state of mind.