People v. Hernandez
Citation
Stub — to be completed.
Facts
Stub — to be completed.
Issue
Stub — to be completed.
Holding
Stub — to be completed.
Rule
A defendant who kills while holding an honest but unreasonable belief in the necessity of self-defense is guilty of voluntary manslaughter, not murder; the honest belief negates malice, but the unreasonable belief prevents full justification.
Significance
Establishes “imperfect self-defense” (unreasonable self-defense) as a partial defense reducing murder to voluntary manslaughter in California.