CALCRIM No. 509. Justifiable Homicide: Non-Peace Officer Preserving the Peace
Judicial Council of California Criminal Jury Instructions (2023 edition)
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509.Justifiable Homicide: Non-Peace Officer Preserving the
Peace
The defendant is not guilty of (murder/ [or] manslaughter/ attempted
murder/ [or] attempted voluntary manslaughter) if (he/she)
(killed/attempted to kill) someone while preserving the peace. Such (a/an)
[attempted] killing is justified, and therefore not unlawful, if:
1. The defendant committed the [attempted] killing while lawfully
(suppressing a riot/keeping and preserving the peace);
2. The defendant had probable cause to believe that
<insert name of decedent> posed a threat of serious physical
harm, either to the defendant or someone else;
AND
3. The [attempted] killing was necessary to lawfully (suppress a riot/
keep and preserve the peace).
A person has probable cause to believe that someone poses a threat of
serious physical harm when facts known to the person would persuade
someone of reasonable caution that the other person is going to cause
serious physical harm to another.
[A riot occurs when two or more people, acting together and without
legal authority, disturb the public peace by use of force or violence or by
threat to use force or violence with the immediate ability to carry out
those threats.]
[A disturbance of the public peace may happen in any place of
confinement. <insert name of detention facility> is a place of
confinement.]
The People have the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that
the [attempted] killing was not justified. If the People have not met this
burden, you must find the defendant not guilty of [attempted] (murder/
[or] manslaughter).
New January 2006
BENCH NOTES
Instructional Duty
The court has a sua sponte duty to instruct on justifiable homicide when “it appears
that the defendant is relying on such a defense, or if there is substantial evidence
supportive of such a defense and the defense is not inconsistent with the defendant’s
theory of the case.” (See People v. Breverman (1998) 19 Cal.4th 142, 156 [77
237
Cal.Rptr.2d 870, 960 P.2d 1094] [addressing sua sponte duty to instruct on self-
defense].)
Related Instructions
CALCRIM No. 507, Justifiable Homicide: By Public Offıcer.
CALCRIM No. 508, Justifiable Homicide: Citizen Arrest (Non-Peace Offıcer).
AUTHORITY
• Justifiable Homicide to Preserve the Peace. Pen. Code, §§ 197, subd. 4, 199.
• Lawful Resistance to the Commission of an Offense. Pen. Code, §§ 692-694.
• Riot Defined. Pen. Code, § 404(a).
• Burden of Proof. Pen. Code, § 189.5; People v. Frye (1992) 7 Cal.App.4th 1148,
1154-1155 [10 Cal.Rptr.2d 217].
RELATED ISSUES
Person Using Force Must Fear Imminent Death or Bodily Injury
“Deadly force may not be used to prevent the escape of an apparently unarmed
suspected felon unless it is necessary to prevent the escape and the officer has
probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or
serious physical injury to the officer or others.” (Tennessee v. Garner (1985) 471
U.S. 1, 3, 11 [105 S.Ct. 1694, 85 L.Ed.2d 1].) “Garner necessarily limits the scope
of justification for homicide under section 197, subdivision 4, and other similar
statutes from the date of that decision.” (People v. Martin (1985) 168 Cal.App.3d
1111, 1124 [214 Cal.Rptr. 873].)
SECONDARY SOURCES
1 Witkin & Epstein, California Criminal Law (4th ed. 2012) Defenses, §§ 90-66.
3 Millman, Sevilla & Tarlow, California Criminal Defense Practice, Ch. 73,
Defenses and Justifications, § 73.14 (Matthew Bender).
4 Millman, Sevilla & Tarlow, California Criminal Defense Practice, Ch. 85,
Submission to Jury and Verdict, § 85.04[1][c] (Matthew Bender).
6 Millman, Sevilla & Tarlow, California Criminal Defense Practice, Ch. 142, Crimes
Against the Person, § 142.01[1][b] (Matthew Bender).
CALCRIM No. 509 HOMICIDE
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© Judicial Council of California.
