Questions tagged [jury-instruction]
5 questions
30
votes
5 answers
Can a judge suggest to the jury that a witness is lying?
I was recently party to a preliminary hearing in a criminal case in which a 911 call was played. The content of the 911 call was very beneficial to the defendant. During the hearing, the judge said something to the effect of, "It would be a question…
Cicero
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8
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Are jurors instructed to not be influenced by the emotions of the witnesses?
The 61 year old witness for the prosecution of the Floyd case broke down and cried uncontrollably.
Does the judge give instructions to the jurors that they cannot allow the emotions of the witnesses to influence their decision?
user36735
4
votes
1 answer
How are US grand juries instructed not to 'indict ham sandwiches' if there is no judge or opposing counsel?
In the May 26, 2021 video How a NY special grand jury could impact Donald Trump CNN’s senior legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elie Honig mentions the following in a background piece outlining the basics of a US Special Grand Jury. After…
uhoh
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4
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What will a judge do if a witness refers to an event previously stricken from the record? (USA)
Some context. Suppose the prosecutor enters into evidence body camera footage from a police officer. On the tape, the suspect makes a lewd remark, and another officer offers a witty comeback. The jury laughs.
The defense objects, arguing the part…
GridAlien
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2
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Allen charge -- why in state court and how often does it produce a verdict
Watching the Daniel Penny case in New York it seems the jury came back with a note saying they are deadlocked. Consequently the judge has issued an Allen charge to try to get a verdict.
A couple of questions:
The Allen charge arose from a USSC…
Fraser Orr
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