ICJI 204

ICJI 204 CONCLUDING REMARKS (HOW TO DELIBERATE)

I have outlined for you the rules of law applicable to this case and have told you of some of the matters which you may consider in weighing the evidence to determine the facts. In a few minutes counsel will present their closing remarks to you, and then you will retire to the jury room for your deliberations.

The arguments and statements of the attorneys are not evidence. If you remember the facts differently from the way the attorneys have stated them, you should base your decision on what you remember.

The attitude and conduct of jurors at the beginning of your deliberations are important. It is rarely productive at the outset for you to make an emphatic expression of your opinion on the case or to state how you intend to vote. When you do that at the beginning, your sense of pride may be aroused, and you may hesitate to change your position even if shown that it is wrong. Remember that you are not partisans or advocates, but are judges. For you, as for me, there can be no triumph except in the ascertainment and declaration of the truth.

As jurors you have a duty to consult with one another and to deliberate before making your individual decisions. You may fully and fairly discuss among yourselves all of the evidence you have seen and heard in this courtroom about this case, together with the law that relates to this case as contained in these instructions.

During your deliberations, you each have a right to re-examine your own views and change your opinion. You should only do so if you are convinced by fair and honest discussion that your original opinion was incorrect based upon the evidence the jury saw and heard during the trial and the law as given you in these instructions.

Consult with one another. Consider each other's views, and deliberate with the objective of reaching an agreement, if you can do so without disturbing your individual judgment. Each of you must decide this case for yourself; but you should do so only after a discussion and consideration of the case with your fellow jurors.

However, none of you should surrender your honest opinion as to the weight or effect of evidence or as to the innocence or guilt of the defendant because the majority of the jury feels otherwise or for the purpose of returning a unanimous verdict.