People v. Aris
Citation
215 Cal.App.3d 1178 (1989)
Facts
Barbara Aris, a battered woman, shot and killed her husband while he was asleep after years of severe domestic abuse; she raised both imperfect self-defense and the EED doctrine, presenting expert testimony on battered woman syndrome.
Issue
Whether the EED doctrine and imperfect self-defense are available to a battered woman who kills her sleeping abuser without an imminent threat of attack at the moment of the killing.
Holding
The court discussed the application of the EED doctrine to battered women’s cases and the role of expert testimony on battered woman syndrome in establishing the reasonableness element of the defense.
Rule
The EED doctrine may be available to battered women acting against a perceived threat even without an imminent attack at the moment of the killing; however, the “reasonable explanation” element still applies and expert testimony on battered woman syndrome is relevant to the objective component of the analysis.