In your opinion, did Peggy Stewart kill Mike Stewart in self-defense?
As a preemptive strike? Or as retaliation? Or something else? Defend your answer.
Jason Shelley was convicted in the Superior Court, King County, of second-degree assault, arising out of an incident in which Shelley intentionally punched another basketball player during a game. Shelley appealed. The Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction.
On March 31, 1993, Jason Shelley and Mario Gonzalez played “pickup” basketball on opposing teams at the University of Washington Intramural Activities Building (the IMA). Pickup games are not refereed by an official; rather, the players take responsibility for calling their own fouls.
During the course of three games, Gonzalez fouled Shelley several times. Gonzalez had a reputation for playing overly aggressive defense at the IMA. Toward the end of the evening, after trying to hit the ball away from Shelley, he scratched Shelley’s face and drew blood. After getting scratched, Shelley briefly left the game and then returned.
Shelley and Gonzalez have differing versions of what occurred after Shelley returned to the game. According to Gonzalez, while he was waiting for play in the game to return to Gonzalez’s side of the court, Shelley suddenly hit him. Gonzalez did not see Shelley punch him. According to Shelley’s version of events, when Shelley rejoined the game, he was running down the court and he saw Gonzalez make “a move towards me as if he was maybe going to prevent me from getting the ball.”