Keywords
Battered Woman's Defense, Battered Woman's Syndrome, Criminal Law Defenses, Defenses, imminence, Self-Defense, feminism, juries
Abstract
This essay explores the growth of the use of self-defense by battered women from a historical perspective in order to explain the magnitude of the prejudices these defendants face. The essay suggests that a redefinition of Battered Woman's Syndrome will ease much of the criticism from feminists and eliminate the confusion in the legal profession surrounding the use of self-defense by battered women. The essay also pushes for a redefinition of the concept of "imminence" to encompass the realities of a battered woman's life.
Recommended Citation
Michael Dowd,
Dispelling the Myths About the "Battered Woman's Defense:" Towards a New Understanding,
19 Fordham Urb. L.J. 567
(1992).
Available at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/ulj/vol19/iss3/2