| People v. Newton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Court | California Court of Appeal, First District, Division 4 |
| Full case name | The People v. Huey P. Newton |
| Decided | May 29, 1970 |
| Citations | 8 Cal. App. 3d 359; 87 Cal.Rptr. 394 |
| Court membership | |
| Judges sitting | Joseph A. Rattigan, Preston Devine, Winslow Christian |
People v. Newton, 8 Cal. App. 3d 359 (Ct. App. 1970), was a controversial appeal arising from the voluntary manslaughter conviction of Huey P. Newton, the reputed co-founder of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. The California Court of Appeal reversed Newton's conviction due to prejudicial error stemming from the trial court's failure to instruct the jury as to the possibility of involuntary unconsciousness as a complete defense to the charges. Though Newton's attorney arguably withdrew the defense at trial, the Court nonetheless held that the failure to instruct violated Newton's constitutional right to have the jury determine all material issues based on the evidence. This case stands for the proposition that trial courts have an affirmative duty to instruct juries as to a defense of involuntary unconsciousness where there exists evidence that may support that conclusion.