FORENSIC EVALUATIONS OF BATTERED WOMEN DEFENDANTS - RELEVANT DATA TO BE APPLIED TO ELEMENTS OF SELF-DEFENSE

There has been no model of the relevant information that forensic expe rts should collect from battered women defendants for testifying in co urt in support of self-defense claims. This article proposes such a mo del, addressing the mental state of battered women at the time they ki lled their partners. Many killings of partners by battered women shoul d be considered appropriate for self-defense claims, even when the fac t situations do not appear to fit ''classic'' self-defense criteria. F orensic experts have an important role in bringing jurors to an unders tanding of how many battered womens' actions resulting in the death of a partner actually fit self-defense laws by explaining the fit betwee n the facts of the case and the typical criteria of self-defense.