Type In Electronic Jury Instructions Templates For Free

Definition: Jury instructions are written instructions given to the jury by the judge to guide them during deliberation. They explain the basic procedure of the deliberation and the substance of the law on which their decision is based.

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.

All the jurors must agree on the decision or verdict ? their decision must be unanimous. If they cannot all agree, the judge may discharge the jury and direct a new jury to be chosen for a new trial. After a trial, jurors are not allowed to tell anyone else about the discussions that took place in the jury room.

The judge instructs the jury that their vote must be unanimous and that, if found guilty, the boy will face the death penalty. Cut to the jury room where the story takes place. An anonymous vote is taken where all the jurors vote guilty, save one...

Judge: Members of the jury, you have heard all of the testimony concerning this case. It is now up to you to determine the facts. You and you alone, are the judges of the fact. Once you decide what facts the evidence proves, you must then apply the law as I give it to you to the facts as you find them.

Any party may request in writing that the court instruct the jury on the law as specified in the request. The request must be made at the close of the evidence or at any earlier time that the court reasonably sets. When the request is made, the requesting party must furnish a copy to every other party.