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Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff
(a) When a defense declared by this Criminal Code or by another statute to be an affirmative defense is raised at trial, the defendant has the burden of establishing it by a preponderance of the evidence.
(b) Unless the court determines that no reasonable juror could find an affirmative defense established by a preponderance of the evidence presented by the defendant, the defendant is entitled to a jury instruction that the jury must acquit the defendant if they find the affirmative defense established by a preponderance of the evidence.
(c) An affirmative defense is established by a preponderance of the evidence when the jury is persuaded that the evidence makes it more likely than not that each element of the affirmative defense existed at the required time.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Delaware Code Title 11. Crimes and Criminal Procedure § 304. Defendant's affirmative defenses; prove by preponderance of evidence - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/de/title-11-crimes-and-criminal-procedure/de-code-sect-11-304/
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.
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