Copy And Paste In Legal New York Jury Instructions Forms For Free

The 'missing witness' instruction allows a jury to draw an unfavorable inference when a party fails to call a witness who would normally be expected to support that party's version of events (People v Savinon, 100 NY2d 192, 196 [2003]).

If you are not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of a charged crime, you must find the defendant not guilty of that crime. If you are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of a charged crime, you must find the defendant guilty of that crime. CPL 300.10(2).

Another example of reasonable doubt in a DUI case is if the arresting officer failed to follow proper procedure or they didn't have probable cause. If the defense can demonstrate that there were flaws or any form of negligence in the arrest, this may be enough to cast reasonable doubt on the guilt of the accused.

When jurors cannot agree on a verdict and report this to a judge, the judge may issue further instruction to them to encourage those in the minority to reconsider their position. These instructions are known as an Allen charge or, more casually, as a dynamite charge.

When a party has the burden of proving any claim [or affirmative defense] by a preponderance of the evidence, it means you must be persuaded by the evidence that the claim [or affirmative defense] is more probably true than not true.

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.