Although the testimony of the victim was stricken from the record, the 911 call wasn’t. The judge had to make a facts call, what story makes more sense based on all the evidence. Although self defense is a justification, there is some shifting of the burden of proof, making the “innocent until proven guilty” less applicable. With all that in mind, there is nothing that I have read that comes close to showing that there was a miscarriage of justice (with no conclusive evidence to the contrary either). Therefore, a judge has more credibility to me.
My question to you Health: If there was a Jewish kid walking in a black neighborhood, was approached by two intimidating folks in a car saying you don’t belong here or the like, then a few minutes later seeing those two folks approaching him, the kid picks up the nearest thing he finds, then gets beaten. How would you feel about a self-defense argument then?