Necessity Defense

The necessity defense is a legal argument used when someone commits a crime to prevent a greater harm from happening. It claims that breaking the law was necessary to avoid a more serious danger, like harming oneself or others. For example, breaking into a cabin to escape a dangerous storm could be justified as necessary. However, the defense is only valid if the action was reasonable, immediate, and there was no legal way out. Essentially, it recognizes that sometimes, violating the law is acceptable to prevent a bigger disaster.