Pittsburgh, PA asked in Criminal Law for Pennsylvania

Q: If a 15 year old threatens 22 year old to fight. How many hits before its self defense?

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2 Lawyer Answers

A: Unless the 22 year old is huge and the 15 year old tiny, no hit at all though realistically there may be problems if the 22 year old hits first.

R. Patrick Link agrees with this answer

A: There is no set number of "hits" before s self-defense claim can be raised. You are entitled to use whatever force is immediately necessary under the circumstances to protect yourself against the use of unlawful force by another person. Of course, if the other person is younger and smaller, the amount of force that is necessary might not be the same for an older or stronger opponent.

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