• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Noll Law Office

Springfield IL Criminal Defense & DUI Lawyers

Free Initial Consultation 217-414-8889

  • Home
  • Practice Areas
    • Civil Rights Violations
      • Wrongful Death & Medical Malpractice
      • Excessive Force
    • Criminal Defense
      • Alternative Sentencing
      • Drug Crimes
      • Federal Criminal Defense
      • Gun Crimes (Firearms-Weapons)
      • Potential Defenses
      • Setting Bond
      • Sex Crimes Defense
      • Theft Crime Defense
      • Traffic Offenses
      • Violent Crimes Defense
    • DUI Defense
      • Aggravated DUI
      • Breathalyzer
      • Field Sobriety Tests
      • First DUI Offense
      • Multiple DUIs
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Nursing Home Abuse
      • Bedsore and Pressure Ulcers
      • Improper Wound Care
    • Personal Injury Lawyers
      • Back Injuries
      • Car Accidents
      • Dog Bite Claims
      • Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys
      • Illinois Union Worker Injuries
      • Motorcycle Accidents
      • Premises Liability
      • Trucking Accidents
      • Wrongful Death / Survival Actions
    • Workers Compensation
      • Police, Fire and Ambulance Injury
      • State Workers Compensation Claims
  • Our Law Firm
    • Daniel Noll
    • Sarah R. Noll
    • Blog
  • Contact Us
    • Free Initial Consultation

Self Defense

What is self-defense, and when can it be used to get a criminal case dismissed?

Self-defense can be an effective criminal case strategy in many circumstances.  Our office has successfully defended clients who acted in self-defense.

If you believe that the use of force was necessary for self-defense, you may have been justified to use force. When someone pleads self-defense, they are often partially or completely successful. Most judges and jurors intuitively feel they know what self-defense is.

If you claim self-defense in a case, evidence showing your state of mind may be considered. This evidence can include previous incidents with the person who assaulted you, threats, or other things that show you had a reason to be more fearful than another person might — for example, a woman who has a history of being battered.

If you know that the person with whom you have been involved in an altercation has a history of violence, it can support your claim of self-defense. The same force that would be unreasonable to use against a presumably peaceful citizen may be considered reasonable in response to similar behavior by a man of known violent and aggressive tendencies.

In addition to self-defense, there are other situations that may justify the use of force. These include when a person reasonably believes he must use force to defend against an attack on a dwelling or against the trespass or interference with his or her property. A person’s home is his or her castle, and it can be legally defended against illegal entry or attack.

None of the above exceptions apply when the person using force is the original aggressor, unless he has reason to believe that he is in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm, or if he tries to withdraw from the conflict but the assailant either continues or resumes the use of force.

If you believe you have a valid Self-defense claim, contact our Springfield Criminal Self-Defense lawyers today at (217) 414-8889 for a free initial consultation

Contact Noll Law Offices

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Noll Law never backs down in defense of our clients.

Call 217-414-8889

Copyright © 2021 · Noll Law Office
Noll Law Office LLC, 930 East Monroe Street, Springfield, Illinois 62701 · 217-414-8889

Free Consultation
217-414-8889