VA · jury_instructions
Va. Model Jury Instr. Crim. No. 18.710
Pointing or Brandishing Firearm or Object Similar in Appearance to a Firearm
The defendant is charged with the crime of [pointing; brandishing] [a firearm; an object similar in
appearance to a firearm]. The Commonwealth must prove beyond a reasonable doubt each of the
following elements of that crime:
(1) That the defendant [pointed; brandished] [a firearm; an object similar in appearance to a firearm];
and
(2) That the defendant did so in such a manner as to reasonably induce fear or apprehension of
bodily harm in the mind of another person.
If you find from the evidence that the Commonwealth has proved beyond a reasonable doubt
each of the above elements of the crime as charged, then you shall find the defendant guilty [but
you shall not fix the punishment until your verdict has been returned and further evidence has been heard
by you].
If you find that the Commonwealth has failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt either or
both of the elements of the crime, then you shall find the defendant not guilty.
History
Virginia Model Jury Instructions – Criminal, Release 26, October 2025. The unannotated set, posted by the Supreme Court of Virginia at vacourts.gov; the book states that it is made available with the permission of the publisher, Matthew Bender & Company, Inc.
Provenance
- Source
- vacourts.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-11
- Edition
- crim-2025-10-01
- Content hash
656ae29d26005a371e7979c122ab9f385666d4e6b4676fefa69ce8d4b9742d38
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