Leeds

A defendant accused of murder pleads not guilty by reason of insanity. He claims that when he killed he was in a delusional state, which caused him to believe he was in danger of immediate great bodily injury or death and therefore was legally justified in acting in self-defense. Here we hold that the jury must be instructed that the defendant was legally insane if (1) he suffered from a delusional state and (2) his delusion, if true, would lawfully justify killing in self-defense. The trial court erred, however, in failing to give such an instruction and also erred when it instructed the jury that appellant’s belief had to be “reasonable.”

Lee Isaac Bedwell Leeds shot and killed his father and three other men whom he.believed were conspiring to kill him. He was charged with their murders (Pen. Code, §§ 187, subd. (a), 189) and multiple-murder special circumstance (§ 190.2, subd. (a)(3)) and gun use allegations (former § 12022.53, subds. (b), (c), (d)). When Leeds was arraigned on the complaint his counsel informed the court that Leeds was incompetent to stand trial. (§ 1368.) Based on the reports of the appointed mental health experts, the trial court found him to be…