US-CA3 · jury_instructions
3d Cir. Model Jury Instr. (Criminal) 4.17
Child Witness
You have heard the testimony of (child’s name). A child may be
permitted to testify even though (he)(she) is very young. You must determine,
as with any witness, whether you believe (child’s name)’s testimony and how
much weight, if any, you think it deserves. Did (he)(she) understand the
questions? Did (he)(she) accurately perceive the events? Does (he)(she) have a
good memory? Does (he)(she) understand (his)(her) duty to tell the truth?
It is up to you to decide whether (child’s name) understood the
seriousness of (his)(her) appearance as a witness at this criminal trial. In
addition, is up to you to decide whether (child’s name) understood the
questions asked of (him)(her) and was truthful.
Provenance
- Source
- ca3.uscourts.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-08-19
- Edition
- 2026-08-19
- Content hash
f092780b2f1bb6a0025b68678abafee82372bff93542972aeb26e8fab40c20d0
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