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Jury awards self-defender $250,000

A Kansas jury has awarded a quarter of million to a person who shot in self-defense. The aggressor came at the defender with a knife, and the defender plugged him with a.357.

A criminal case had been filed against the defender, and that jury acquitted him, but the aggressor filed a civil suit. The defender filed a ballsy counterclaim for battery and trespass, and won big. The quarter-million is just for actual damages, pain and suffering and mental anguish -- the jury decided in favor of giving them, but apparently under state law the amount of punitives is tried separately. As one might guess, the story suggests that the aggressor POed the jury. [Hat tip to Dan Gifford]

· Self defense