Judge Allows Murder Defendant to Claim Self Defense

By D.C. Witness Staff - March 1, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

A D.C. Superior Court judge ruled March 1 to allow a murder defendant’s attorneys to argue her actions were in self-defense.

Dianna Lalchan is charged with first-degree murder while armed and a gun-related offense for her alleged role in the death of her 36-year-old husband, Christopher Lalchan, in the Carrollsburg Condominiums on the 1200 block of 4th Street, SW in 2013. 

Judge Ronna Beck said the defense had sufficient evidence in support of self-defense. Apparently, Lalchan, 33, called 911 after the murder and told the dispatcher, “he was coming at me so I shot him,” referring to her husband. The defense said her description makes the husband the “initial aggressor.”

The prosecution argued against the ruling saying, the evidence in the case doesn’t support a self-defense claim because the husband was shot in the back of the head.

Judge Beck said the defense could reference the husband’s prior “bad acts” during the trial.

According to court documents, Lalchan told the police that she was a victim of domestic abuse. However, she also told police that her husband did not threaten or abuse her the night he was killed. 

Judge Beck also denied the prosecution’s motion to prevent two of the defense’s experts from testifying. According to the prosecution, the defense notified the court about the experts late, nearly two weeks before the trial was scheduled to begin.

However, due to the late filing, Judge Beck granted the prosecution additional time to prepare for the case by pushing the trial back two days. The trial, which was scheduled to begin on March 4, is now scheduled to begin on March 6.