Rhode Island Jury Instruction — 12.12.1 General Instruction is a crucial part of the legal process that provides guidance to the members of a jury in a court case. This instruction is meant to ensure that the jurors understand their roles, responsibilities, and the principles they must follow while deliberating and reaching a verdict. The general instruction serves as a foundation for a fair and just trial. It outlines the basic legal concepts and principles that jurors need to know in order to make informed decisions. By providing clear instructions, it helps promote consistency and uniformity in the decision-making process across different cases. Some important keywords related to Rhode Island Jury Instruction — 12.12.1 General Instruction may include: 1. Legal principles: This instruction guides jurors on the essential legal principles they should apply during deliberations. It may cover concepts such as burden of proof, presumption of innocence, reasonable doubt, credibility of witnesses, and credibility of evidence. 2. Evaluation of evidence: Jurors are often required to assess and evaluate the evidence presented during the trial. The instruction may provide guidance on how to evaluate witness testimony, physical evidence, and documentary evidence, and how to weigh their credibility and relevance. 3. Decision-making process: The instruction may outline the step-by-step process jurors should follow in order to reach a verdict. This may involve discussions, deliberations, and reaching a consensus on the guilt or innocence of the defendant. 4. Deliberation guidelines: To ensure an impartial and fair deliberation, the instruction may provide guidelines on how jurors should conduct themselves during deliberations. It may stress the importance of listening to others, engaging in respectful discussions, considering different perspectives, and avoiding personal biases or prejudices. 5. Communication with the court: The instruction may address the circumstances under which jurors can communicate with the court, seek clarification on legal matters, and request additional guidance or information related to the case. While it is specifically mentioned as a general instruction, there may be other types of jury instructions in Rhode Island that are more specific to certain types of cases. For example, there might be separate instructions for criminal cases, civil cases, or specialized areas of law, such as medical malpractice or intellectual property. These specific instructions would provide further guidance tailored to the particular legal issues and elements involved in those cases.