SELF DEFENSE

Washington State has a strong history of Self Defense.  You have a right to defend yourself, another person, or personal property.  The key with Self Defense is that your actions must be reasonable.  Using this as a defense to a criminal charge also opens up options that would not otherwise exist: Evidence that is otherwise inadmissible can be used, you may be entitled to reimbursement of your expenses, the Prosecutor will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the force used was not lawful. 

No Duty to Retreat

Washington State does not require that you "run away" before being entitled to defend yourself.  As long as you are in a place where you have a right to be and you have reasonable grounds for believing you are being attacked.

Appearances

The law does not require that you are in "actual danger," rather you are entitled to act on appearances - so long as you have a good faith belief and have reasonable grounds to believe you are in danger of great bodily harm.

Evidence

Because of the nature of Self Defense, what is going on in the mind of the Defendant is relevant.  This means that otherwise inadmissible evidence - like prior bad acts of the victim are admissible to show that the Defendant was acting reasonably.

Self Defense is a powerful tool but like any legal defense it has to be used correctly.  If you feel that you are a candidate, talk with an attorney and find out if it applies to your situation.