Under common law, the first aggressor may claim self-defense only if

• A. He withdraws from the confrontation
• B. He escalates the confrontation
• C. He surrenders to police
• D. He continues to attack

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that, at common law, the privilege of self-defense does not extend to the person who starts the fight unless he clearly withdraws from the confrontation and communicates that withdrawal to the other party. Once the aggressor stops and signals that he is withdrawing, he may later defend himself if the other party continues or escalates the attack. Among the options, withdrawing from the confrontation best captures this requirement. Escalating the confrontation, surrendering to police, or continuing to attack do not show withdrawal and keep the aggressor’s initial posture, so self-defense would not apply in those scenarios.