US-CA9 · jury_instructions
9th Cir. Model Jury Instr. (Criminal) 1.2
The Charge—Presumption of Innocence
This is a criminal case brought by the United States government. The government charges the defendant with [specify crime[s] charged]. The charge[s] against the defendant [is] [are] contained in the indictment. The indictment simply describes the charge[s] the government brings against the defendant. The indictment is not evidence and does not prove anything.
The defendant has pleaded not guilty to the charge[s] and is presumed innocent unless and until the government proves the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In addition, the defendant has the right to remain silent and never has to prove innocence or present any evidence.
[To help you follow the evidence, I will now give you a brief summary of the elements of the crime[s] that the government must prove to make its case: [supply brief statement of elements of crime[s]].]
Provenance
- Source
- ce9.uscourts.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-08-20
- Edition
- 2026-08-20
- Content hash
5d59cf7fe1b5ead19fad3c617278067fb8defef5f364a76e28148eaf60b698b9
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