[COLOR="#000000"]UNDERSTANDING AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES
David Beneman
Maine CJA Resource Counsel
Levenson, Vickerson & Beneman
P.O. Box 465
Portland, ME 04112
...
I. Legal Groundwork For Affirmative Defenses
A. What is an Affirmative Defense?
An affirmative defense is one which provides a defense without negating an essential
element of the crime charge. [highlight][COLOR="#000000"]To establish an affirmative defense the defendant must place
before the jury sufficient proof [COLOR="#0000ff"][U][COLOR="#000000"]to generate a jury instruction[/COLOR][/U][/COLOR] on the particular defense theory
sought.[/COLOR][/highlight] Normally, an affirmative defense is expressly designated as affirmative by statute,
or is a defense involving an excuse or justification peculiarly within the knowledge of the
accused.
B. How is an Affirmative Defense different from a “Regular” Defense?
[U]An affirmative defense is one which requires the actual production of evidence, [highlight][B][COLOR="#000000"]be
it testimonial or physical[/COLOR][/B][/highlight][/U]. [COLOR="#0000ff"][U][COLOR="#000000"]The evidence can be adduced through cross examination of
Government witnesses or produced after the close of the Government’s case in chief.[/COLOR][/U][/COLOR]
Affirmative defenses do not directly attack an element of the crime but provide either
justification for the conduct or some other legally recognized approach to undermining the
charge. A defendant must generate an affirmative defense instruction.
C. Types of Defenses
There are two categories of defense.
1. I did not do it defenses, and
2. I did it but defenses.
Affirmative defenses are available in both categories.
[...]
[B]D. Burdens[/B]
The term “affirmative defense” seems inextricably tied to arguments about burden shifting.
Three different burdens exist;
[INDENT][COLOR="#0000ff"][U][COLOR="#000000"][B]burden of proof [/B](always on the government)[/COLOR][/U][/COLOR],
[B]burden of production[/B] (normally on the defense), and
[B]burden of persuasion[/B] (normally back on the government).[/INDENT]
The burden of proof to prove the essential elements of the crime charged BRD [highlight][COLOR="#000000"]starts with
and ALWAYS stays with the Government.[/COLOR][/highlight]
The burden of production to generate an affirmative defense is on the defense.
This is constitutional because the defense is not negating an essential element of the crime charged.
The standard, meaning the quantum of evidence needed, varies with the particular affirmative defense.
Generally it is either by a preponderance, or by clear and convincing. Once the defense has met this burden
of producing an affirmative defense, [COLOR="#0000ff"][U][COLOR="#000000"]the Government has the additional burden of [B]persuading[/B][/COLOR][/U][/COLOR] the jury
not just as to each element of the crime BRD, but also to persuade the jury to reject the affirmative defense BRD as well.
[INDENT][INDENT]I. [B]Burden of Proof[/B] Presenting an affirmative defense offers no relief to the government in what they must prove.
Patterson v. New York, 432 U.S. 197 (1977). Rather, if the defense generates an affirmative defense,
[highlight][COLOR="#ff0000"][U][COLOR="#000000"]the government must then disprove the defense generally beyond a reasonable doubt.[/COLOR][/U][/COLOR][/highlight]
Mullaney, 421 U.S. at 704; U.S. v. Jackson, 569 F.2d 1003, 1008 n.12 (7th Cir. 1978)(emphasis added).
[/INDENT][/INDENT][/COLOR]
[URL="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:06-_HilumfEJ:www.fd.org/pdf_lib/beneman_affirmative_defenses_materials.pdf+affirmative+defense&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjQQ9DDIG6I9rtWnkdrvG4XMpf-h2KGVxjIf2cgCnXgnZ6rKrFrnVZwDO3Pw-YkvR4VQt6w8d4k7Jd6u3XiNVni3HwMVJaz2xJgZswMP-HkNfqJhwe5jZwla03YrbDJEf3LwZ9D&sig=AHIEtbQjGQcnos5_jKrclWonXfetxH8Zuw"]Source[/URL]