Mississippi Alibi Instruction is a legal instruction given to the jury in a criminal trial when a defendant claims to have been somewhere else during the alleged crime. This instruction serves as a guide to the jury on how to evaluate the alibi defense and consider its credibility in relation to the prosecution's evidence. It is used to help the jury determine whether the defendant's absence from the scene of the crime is a valid alibi or merely an attempt to create doubt. In Mississippi, there are two types of Alibi Instruction commonly used in criminal trials: 1. Traditional Alibi Instruction: This type of instruction informs the jury that if the defendant presents evidence establishing a reasonable doubt regarding their presence at the scene of the crime, then the burden of proof is on the prosecution to overcome that doubt. The instruction emphasizes that the State must prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and that the jury should acquit if the prosecution fails to meet this burden. 2. Sandoval Alibi Instruction: This instruction takes its name from a landmark case in Mississippi, Sandoval v. State. It is given when the defendant presents an alibi defense and also relies on the inability of the prosecution to produce key witnesses. The Sandoval instruction instructs the jury that they can infer that the missing witnesses would have given testimony unfavorable to the prosecution's case, thereby bolstering the defendant's alibi. In both types of instructions, the jury is urged to consider the evidence presented by both the defense and the prosecution. They must evaluate the credibility, consistency, and reliability of the alibi evidence and weigh it against the overall case presented by the prosecution. The purpose of the Mississippi Alibi Instruction is to ensure a fair trial by providing guidance to the jury in assessing the veracity of the defendant's alibi defense. Keywords: Mississippi Alibi Instruction, legal instruction, criminal trial, defendant, alibi defense, jury, credibility, burden of proof, reasonable doubt, prosecution, evidence, Sandoval Alibi Instruction, landmark case, Sandoval v. State, witnesses, missing witnesses, testimony, unfair trial, veracity.