Add Number Fields Legal Georgia Jury Instructions Forms For Free

(1) Members of the jury, now it is time for me to instruct you about the law you must follow in deciding this case. (2) I will start by explaining your duties and the general rules that apply in every criminal case. (3) Then I will explain the elements of the crimes that the defendant is accused of committing.

Stated another way, a preponderance of the evidence means the greater weight of the evidence. It refers to the quality and persuasiveness of the evidence, not to the number of witnesses or documents.

The Need to Object to Bad Jury Instructions As a rule, legally erroneous instructions are presumably objected to by the opposing party. That's a standard for California courts. However, it's a good idea for the opposing party to put any objections to those instructions on the record.

A party who objects to an instruction or the failure to give an instruction must do so on the record, stating distinctly the matter objected to and the grounds for the objection.

What are Jury Instructions? Jury instructions tell the jury what the laws are that govern a particular case. Each attorney gives the judge a set of proposed jury instructions. The judge considers each instruction and gives the one that properly states the law that applies to the case.

Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is proof that leaves you firmly convinced the defendant is guilty. It is not required that the government prove guilt beyond all possible doubt. A reasonable doubt is a doubt based upon reason and common sense and is not based purely on speculation.

(B) "Special jury instructions," meaning instructions from other sources, those specially prepared by the party, or approved instructions that have been substantially modified by the party.

In a criminal case, the burden of proof must be beyond a reasonable doubt. In civil cases, the burden of proof is by a preponderance of the evidence. The judge will explain what these terms mean for a given case in the jury instructions.

A party must persuade you, by the evidence presented in court, that what he or she is required to prove is more likely to be true than not true. This is referred to as "the burden of proof."