US-CA3 · jury_instructions
3d Cir. Model Jury Instr. (Criminal) 1.06
Questions by Jurors of Witnesses
Option 1:
Only the lawyers and I are allowed to ask questions of witnesses. You are
not permitted to ask questions of witnesses. [The specific reasons for not allowing
jurors to ask questions may be explained.] If, however, you are unable to hear a
witness or a lawyer, please raise your hand and I will correct the situation.
Option 2:
Generally only the lawyers and I ask questions of witnesses. However, I
may allow you to submit questions for some witnesses. After the lawyers have
finished asking their questions on direct and cross-examination but before I have
excused the witness, if you have a question on an important matter and feel that
an answer would be helpful to you in understanding the case, please raise your
hand. Write your question on a piece of paper and hand it to my courtroom
deputy, who will give the question to me. Do not discuss your question with any
other juror.
You should only submit questions that will help you decide important
issues in this case. Also, the rules of evidence must be considered before any
questions can be approved. Therefore, I will discuss your question with the
lawyers, outside your hearing, and decide whether the question is allowed under
the rules. If the question is not allowed under the rules, I will not ask it. You
should not make any conclusions from the fact that I do not ask the question.
You should not take it personally if I do not ask the question or if I ask it in a
22
form that is different from what you submitted. If I do ask your question you
should not give the answer to it any greater weight than you would give to any
other testimony. Remember that you are here to judge the facts impartially. You
can submit a question if testimony of a witness is unclear on an important point
or if, after the lawyers have finished questioning the witness, you think there is
still an important question that has not been asked. You should not submit a
question just to argue with a witness or a question that might suggest your view
or conclusion about the outcome of the case.
Provenance
- Source
- ca3.uscourts.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-08-19
- Edition
- 2026-08-19
- Content hash
bf13a1ce7aa8b4e5443008283dfa6d23cbbb30f90cc2a8bb56b54ce5606694b3
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