UT · jury_instructions
MUJI 2d CR214
Motive.
A defendant's "mental state" is not the same as "motive." Motive is why a person does something. Motive is not an element of the crime(s) charged in this case. As a result, the prosecutor does not have to prove why the defendant acted (or failed to act).
However, a motive or lack of motive may help you determine if the defendant did what (he) (she) is charged with doing. It may also help you determine what (his) (her) mental state was at the time.
Provenance
- Source
- legacy.utcourts.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-08-22
- Edition
- 2026-08-21
- Content hash
29eaf3db40acb233056d4ec92d324b16b3183a5012ad9a5414a4b0967de27548
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