P. v. Rojas
Defendant Aron Cruz Rojas stabbed his ex-girlfriend, Penelope H., in the chest with a steak knife, puncturing her heart. Penelope survived the attack. Defendant was tried by jury and found guilty of attempted murder, infliction of corporal injury on a cohabitant, and assault with a deadly weapon. The jury also found that defendant intentionally inflicted great bodily injury, that he personally used a deadly or dangerous weapon, that he had previously been convicted of domestic violence, and that he committed the current offenses while released from custody on bail for another felony offense. The trial court sentenced defendant to life in prison for the attempted murder, plus a consecutive term of seven years for the enhancements attached to the attempted murder charge. On appeal, defendant contends that the trial court prejudicially erred in failing to instruct the jury sua sponte on the doctrine of imperfect self-defense. As will be explained more fully below, assuming that it was error for the court to fail to provide an instruction on the doctrine of imperfect self defense, any such error was harmless. Court affirm the judgment.
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