Shawn and Denise were married and lived in Texas. Shawn had been physically abusing his wife Denise for several months. One fateful day Shawn assaulted Denise brutally, and she left him. Some weeks later Shawn met up with Denise and convinced her to return home. In the meantime, Denise had applied for a gun permit and purchased a gun. The next time Shawn started beating Denise, she shot and injured him. Denise is charged with attempted murder.

Based on the above information, answer the following questions:

• Can Denise claim self-defense as a justification for shooting Shawn? Why? Cite case laws to support your answer.
• What are the trends in the U.S. courts with regards to convicting women who use the battered-woman defense? Use the Internet to perform your research.
• How is the battered-woman defense related to self-defense?
• Would your answer change if Denise had killed Shawn? Why? Cite any appropriate case law to support your answer.