Reasonable Doubt Legal Definition

• Category: Federal - Jury Instructions - 11th Circuit - Criminal
• State: Multi-State
• Control #: US-JURY-11THCIR-B3-CR
• Format: Word

Description

Pattern Jury Instructions from the 11th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. For more information and to use the online Instruction builder please visit http://www.ca11.uscourts.gov/pattern-jury-instructions Reasonable doubt is a legal concept used in criminal trials, where the prosecution must prove the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in order for a conviction to be made. This is the highest standard of proof in criminal law, and is based on a concept of moral certainty that the accused is guilty of a crime. There are two types of reasonable doubt: permissive, which means that the evidence is sufficient to support a reasonable doubt; and strict, which states that the evidence must be so strong that it is beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty.

Reasonable doubt is a legal concept used in criminal trials, where the prosecution must prove the accused is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in order for a conviction to be made. This is the highest standard of proof in criminal law, and is based on a concept of moral certainty that the accused is guilty of a crime. There are two types of reasonable doubt: permissive, which means that the evidence is sufficient to support a reasonable doubt; and strict, which states that the evidence must be so strong that it is beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty.