lawselfdefense

Attorney Andrew F. Branca, expert in use-of-force law, member US Supreme Court bar.

For "The Andrew Branca Show," go here: @TheBrancaShow

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Branca & Myron Talk Dalton "Chud the Builder" Eatherly!

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I join Myron Gaines to talk about some of the breaking evidentiary and legal developments in the attempted murder trial of Dalton "Chud the Builder" Eatherly, a white man, over the non-fatal shooting of Joshua Fox, a black man.

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Legal Perils of Pursuit: Murder Trial of Rick Chow!

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LET’S BREAK DOWN THE OPENING STATEMENTS OF THIS MURDER/DEFENSE OF OTHERS TRIAL CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE IN SOUTH CAROLINA!

On May 28, 2023, 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton entered Rick Chow’s Shell gas station convenience store on Parklane Road in Columbia, South Carolina. Surveillance video showed him picking up four bottles of water and putting them back; prosecutors say he did not steal anything.

Chow, his son Andy, and wife confronted the teen, who then left the store. Chow and his son chased him approximately 130 yards off the property. At that point a 9mm pistol emerged from the pocket of Carmack-Belton’s hoodie, either being presented as a weapon or falling to the ground in the course of the flight.

Chow, armed with a .45-caliber Glock, fired one shot that struck Carmack-Belton in the lower back, passing through his lung and heart, killing him.

A loaded 9mm pistol with a laser sight was later found near the teen. Prosecutors allege an unjustified chase and shooting of a fleeing boy; the defense claims the teen pointed the gun at Andy Chow, and Rick Chow fired in defense of his son.

Chow is on trial for murder and has pleaded not guilty on the grounds of justified defense of others.

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Was Ritchson Justified? A Self-Defense Attorney Weighs In

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Alan Ritchson plays a man who always knows exactly how much force is necessary. But in a real fight with a real neighbor, the rules are different -- and the consequences are too. A self-defense attorney with 35 years in use-of-force law breaks down what Ritchson was legally allowed to do, what he wasn't, and why the answer probably isn't what you think. This is use-of-force law applied to a real-world incident -- no tabloid spin, no guesswork.

BE HARD TO CONVICT if you're ever compelled to defend yourself, your family, or your property (including pets)!
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Man Who Shot Fleeing Burglars to be Tried for MANSLAUGHTER!

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Detroit-area resident Dayton Knapton, who shot at a group of fleeing burglars on July 8, 2025, killing 17-year-old burglar Sivan Wilson, has been bound over for trial on a charge of manslaughter for the killing, multiple counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, and two counts of a firearm enhancement.

Knapton claims self-defense, and told responding officers that the burglars came at him. Unfortunately, his own home surveillance footage casts doubt on this narrative of self-defense.

Even worse, Knapton’s self-defense statements to police, while intended to be exculpatory, are actually likely to be used by the prosecution to incriminate him further than the damaging video alone.

BE HARD TO CONVICT if you're ever compelled to defend yourself, your family, or your property (including pets)!
GET YOUR FREE BOOK: "The Law of Self Defense: Principles”
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NOW OFFICIAL LAW! TN to Allow DEADLY FORCE in Defense of PROPERTY!

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For decades there has been only one state in America that allowed for the use of deadly force in defense of mere personal property—the great state of Texas. In every other state you are limited to only non-deadly force in defense of property, period—and often not even that much.

There’s been nothing to prevent other states from adopting as similar deadly force in defense of personal property law as Texas—it’s just that none ever has. Now that may be changing. The Tennessee legislature is considering a statute that would allow for the use of deadly force in defense of personal property under certain circumstances.

Known as SB 1847 in the TN senate or HB 1802 in the Tennessee house, the proposed statute borrows quite a bit from the long-standing Texas law, but also differs in important respects.

BE HARD TO CONVICT if you're ever compelled to defend yourself, your family, or your property (including pets)!
GET YOUR FREE BOOK: "The Law of Self Defense: Principles”
https://t.co/Yclebgei0W

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How Chud WINS on Self-Defense In Nashville Shooting!

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Dalton Eatherly, known online as "Chud the Builder," recently shot a man named Joshua Fox in Tennessee.

Chud has built a reputation for deliberately provoking confrontations in public spaces—calling Black individuals racial slurs, making inflammatory remarks designed to agitate, and seemingly looking for conflict, all for the purpose of creating social media content. That pattern makes context critical as we analyze the shooting confrontation with Joshua Fox.

This is a case where legal analysis requires walking a difficult line. Whatever one thinks of Chud’s antics, he has all the same rights of self-defense against unlawful attack as the rest of us—no more, and no less.

The outcome in this shooting depends entirely on facts: Did Chud reasonably believe he faced imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm? Did he provoke the confrontation and acquire a legal duty to retreat in what is normally a stand-your-ground state? Provocation complicates a self-defense claim but doesn't automatically eliminate it.

We'll break down the known and speculative facts, the applicable law, and explore the various legal outcomes. The purpose of all this? So you have a better understanding of the legal boundaries for the lawful use of force.

BE HARD TO CONVICT if you're ever compelled to defend yourself, your family, or your property (including pets)!
GET YOUR FREE BOOK: "The Law of Self Defense: Principles”
https://t.co/Yclebgei0W

https://t.co/LGf7A18ouF

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How Chud’s LEGAL DEFENSE Looks Stronger Every Day!

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Despite overwhelmingly negative media coverage, the legal arguments in defense of Dalton “Chud the Builder” Eatherly looks stronger with every passing day.

Eatherly has been charged with attempted murder for shooting Joshua Foxx in the stomach and shoulder outside the Montgomery County courthouse last week, after Foxx chased Chud down and attacked him.

Eatherly is white, and best known for producing provocative social media content in which he refers to black people as the n-word to their face in public. Foxx is black and has an extensive criminal history of violence.

Eatherly is currently being held on a bond of $1.25 million, a level that seems grotesquely out of proportion given many other lesser bonds issues by the same court for much more serious criminal offenses.

In contrast, Joshua Foxx has yet to be charged with any crime for his attack on Eatherly—a disparity that is not escaping supporters of Eatherly in particular and the public in general.

The last few days have also seen observers of Eatherly’s legal travails falling into one of four camps, from straightforward legal analysis on one of the spectrum, to outright socio-political commentary on the other. Both these extremes have their merits, but ongoing conflation of them continues to cause confusion and misunderstanding.

BE HARD TO CONVICT if you're ever compelled to defend yourself, your family, or your property (including pets)!
GET YOUR FREE BOOK: "The Law of Self Defense: Principles”
https://t.co/Yclebgei0W

https://t.co/Xdb2TsMo7S

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CHUD! Claim of Self-Defense Just Gets STRONGER!

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Chud the Builder’s claim of self-defense keeps getting stronger, and the prosecution’s case for guilt keeps getting weaker. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

In yesterday’s court appearance new evidence was revealed that only strengthens the self-defense claim of Dalton “Chud the Builder” Eatherly’s in his shooting of Joshua Fox, while increasingly making clear that it was Fox who was the unlawful deadly-force aggressor in violently attacking Eatherly.

Indeed, now a full nine days after the May 13 attack by Joshua Fox, a black man, on Eatherly, a white man, every one of the most-feared vulnerabilities in Eatherly’s claim of self-defense are resolving in Eatherly’s favor, and the evidence of Fox as an enraged deadly force aggressor of an innocent, retreating Eatherly only grows greater.

BE HARD TO CONVICT if you're ever compelled to defend yourself, your family, or your property (including pets)!
GET YOUR FREE BOOK: "The Law of Self Defense: Principles”
https://t.co/Yclebgei0W

https://t.co/S2OpTRkWlk

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How Police Complaint Against Chud is WEAK SAUCE!

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Today we’ll take a look at the just released official Affidavit of Complaint against Dalton "Chud the Builder" Eatherly in his attempted murder case. The document has just been made public, and as I review it I see significant gaps in the State's prosecution strategy. These gaps could well mark a turning point in the case against Dalton.

The affidavit fails to present an evidence-based criminal narrative. Notably absent is any mention of inflammatory language. The document describes a verbal altercation, defensive stance, and physical contact—but critically lacks any claim that Eatherly initiated the confrontation. These omissions matter significantly when the State bears the burden of proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt while disproving self-defense.

I’ll break down each element of the affidavit and examine what it does—and doesn't—establish, so we all have an essential legal understanding on where the case stands and what comes next.

BE HARD TO CONVICT if you're ever compelled to defend yourself, your family, or your property (including pets)!
GET YOUR FREE BOOK: "The Law of Self Defense: Principles”
https://t.co/Yclebgei0W

https://t.co/GyIHHqp66o

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LawTuber @LegalBytes’ Thoughts on Chud: Let’s Watch!

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LawTuber & Attorney @LegalBytes this morning released a YouTube video with her legal thoughts on the case of Dalton “Chud the Builder” Easterly.

I covered just a few seconds of it in my morning show, because I found her take on that portion rather at odd with the actual law of self-defense governing this case—and, sure enough her take didn’t make any legal sense to me whatever.

That said, I’ve yet to watch her ENTIRE breakdown of the case, which she covers over about 20 minutes, and in this morning’s poll 97% voted to have me cover the entire video, so join me to do exactly that right HERE!

BE HARD TO CONVICT if you're ever compelled to defend yourself, your family, or your property (including pets)!
GET YOUR FREE BOOK: "The Law of Self Defense: Principles”
https://t.co/Yclebgei0W

https://t.co/HjEJu9e7ti

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“Harry Dresden” Home Invader: When Deadly Force Is Lawful! https://t.co/e7TVFQgGTa

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Tyler Robinson TRUTH: “Bullet Not a Match with Rifle!”

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Tyler Robinson TRUTH: “Bullet Not a Match with Rifle!”

LINK IN REPLY!

A recent court filing in the prosecution of Tyler Robinson in the assassination of Charlie Kirk recently made some waves when it was reported that the ATF had reported that the bullet recovered from Kirk’s body could not be matched to the rifle that authorities believe was used by Robinson to kill Kirk.

The real story is, of course, considerably different than that click-bait headline, and indeed the bullet-rifle issue wasn’t even the most informative part of that court filing.

I will, of course, be covering the Tyler Robinson trial closely, and in today’s show I’ll essentially do a kick-off on where everything currently stands, as well as debunk a bunch of internet nonsense that has developed around this case.