Pennsylvania Statutes

§ 503 — Justification generally

Pennsylvania·Title 18 CRIMES AND OFFENSES·Part PART I·Ch. 5 GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF JUSTIFICATION
(a)General rule.--Conduct which the actor believes to be necessary to avoid a harm or evil to himself or to another is justifiable if:
(1)the harm or evil sought to be avoided by such conduct is greater than that sought to be prevented by the law defining the offense charged;
(2)neither this title nor other law defining the offense provides exceptions or defenses dealing with the specific situation involved; and
(3)a legislative purpose to exclude the justification claimed does not otherwise plainly appear.
(b)Choice of evils.--When the actor was reckless or negligent in bringing about the situation requiring a choice of harms or evils or in appraising the necessity for his conduct, the justification afforded by this section is unavailable in a prosecution for any offense for whic

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Pennsylvania § 503 (Justification generally) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Nearby Sections

9
View on official source ↗