Ep 027 - Self-Defense and The Law with Judge Robert Steinberg

Our discussion about self-protection and the law continues in this episode, part 2 in a series of 3. Last week we set the stage, and now Judge Steinberg of Lehigh County, PA joins us. Self-defense is defined as the right to prevent suffering force or violence through the use of a sufficient level of counteracting force or violence. This definition seems pretty straightforward, however, very rarely is that the case when applied to actual situations. You'll learn exactly what constitutes a sufficient level of force or violence when defending oneself, and what would be considered force beyond that level. What if the victim provoked or instigated the attack? Is one required by law to retreat from a violent situation if possible? What happens when someone perceives a threat even if the threat doesn’t actually exist? And what if someone's perception of an attack is subjectively genuine, but objectively unjustified?

As you'll hear, we recorded this interview several years ago, yet hadn't aired it yet. After all this time, we had it scheduled to be released this week. The timing is uncanny, as it happens to be very timely information that many people in and around South Whitehall Township (about an hour north of Philadelphia and where our podcast originates) will appreciate because of the recent police-involved fatal shooting on Hamilton Blvd near Dorney Park.

By listening to this episode, you'll have a better understanding of why Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin has decided to charge the police officer with voluntary manslaughter.

What are your thoughts regarding the recent incident in South Whitehall? Comment below. Make sure to subscribe to our weekly show on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.