3 canonical passages across 2 cases, quoted by 32 opinions in total. These passages cluster together because the same opinions keep quoting them side by side — they state parts of one doctrine. The anchor passage is from Hughes v. Commonwealth.
| # | Case | Flag | Canonical passage | Citers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hughes v. Commonwealth Anchor | green | “self-defense is an affirmative defense which the accused must prove by introducing sufficient evidence to raise a reasonable doubt about his guilt.” | 13 |
| 2 | Carlos Matthew Bell v. Commonwealth of Virginia | green | “whether an accused proves circumstances sufficient to create a reasonable doubt that he acted in self-defense is a question of fact.” | 11 |
| 3 | Carlos Matthew Bell v. Commonwealth of Virginia | green | “virginia law recognizes two forms of self-defense to criminal acts of violence: self-defense without fault ('justifiable self-defense') and self-defense with fault ('excusable self-defense').” | 8 |
A red or yellow flag on a member means the underlying case has negative treatment — for those, check the case page before relying on the passage.