Jury Instruction - Verdict

Jury instructions, directions to the jury, or judge's charge are legal rules that jurors should follow when deciding a case.

The Sixth Amendment's guarantee of a trial by an impartial jury requires that a jury's verdict must be based on nothing else but the evidence and law presented to them in court.

The judge instructs the jury about the relevant laws that should guide its deliberations. (In some jurisdictions, the court may instruct the jury at any time after the close of evidence.The judge reads the instructions to the jury. This is commonly referred to as the judge's charge to the jury.

The jury listens to the evidence during a trial, decides what facts the evidence has established, and draws inferences from those facts to form the basis for their decision.If the jury finds the accused guilty or liable, it is up to the judge to sentence the defendant.

These are civil or criminal jury instructions approved by a state court, bench committee, or bar association. They are commonly used by courts in the relevant jurisdiction, as they ease the process of drafting fair jury instructions and theoretically do not have errors.

A jury instruction is given by the judge to the jury to explain what is happening in the court, to explain the points of law relevant to the case, to explain certain aspects of the evidence presented and to assist the jurors in understanding their duties in reaching a verdict.

The Judge will always seek a unanimous verdict first. That is a verdict upon which all the jurors are agreed, so either guilty or not guilty.If they cannot do that he will tell them that a majority verdict will be accepted. In a jury of 12 no more than two jurors can disagree.