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Garden City Alarm Co., 147 A.D.2d 124, 131 (2d Dept 1989); see also New York Pattern Jury Instruction A (?Gross negligence means a failure to use even slight care, or conduct that is so careless as to show complete disregard for the rights and safety of others?).

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]).

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.

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.

The judge will advise the jury that it is the sole judge of the facts and of the credibility (believability) of witnesses. He or she will note that the jurors are to base their conclusions on the evidence as presented in the trial, and that the opening and closing arguments of the lawyers are not evidence.

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).