VA · jury_instructions
Va. Model Jury Instr. Crim. No. 18.920
Reckless Handling of a Firearm—Misdemeanor
The defendant is charged with the crime of reckless handling of a firearm so as to endanger the
life, limb, or property of any person. The Commonwealth must prove beyond a reasonable doubt
each of the following elements of that crime:
(1) The defendant recklessly handled a firearm; and
(2) The life, limb, or property of a person was endangered.
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 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
f80d4a2099606802f2bc0a9c6a4c54d5426763c9b2011402c28efe5232e5600e
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