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Extraction Summary
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Document Information
Type:
Jury instruction
File Size:
727 KB
Summary
This document is Jury Instruction No. 42 from a legal case, filed on December 18, 2021. It explains the definitions of direct and circumstantial evidence to the jury, stating that both types of evidence hold equal legal value. The instruction concludes by reminding the jury that they must be convinced of Ms. Maxwell's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt based on all evidence before reaching a conviction.
People (1)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Ms. Maxwell | Defendant (implied) |
Mentioned in the instruction to the jury that they must be satisfied of her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt before co...
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Timeline (1 events)
Instruction No. 42 was given to a jury, defining and comparing direct and circumstantial evidence.
Courthouse
Judge (implied)
Jury
Locations (2)
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Used in a hypothetical example to explain circumstantial evidence.
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Used in a hypothetical example to explain circumstantial evidence.
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Relationships (1)
The document instructs the jury on the legal standard they must apply to the evidence in order to convict Ms. Maxwell.
Key Quotes (4)
"One type of evidence is direct evidence. One kind of direct evidence is a witness’s testimony about something that the witness knows by virtue of his or her own senses—something that the witness has seen, smelled, touched, or heard."Source
— Judge (implied)
(Defining direct evidence for the jury.)
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Quote #1
"The other type of evidence is circumstantial evidence. Circumstantial evidence is evidence that tends to prove one fact by proof of other facts."Source
— Judge (implied)
(Defining circumstantial evidence for the jury.)
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Quote #2
"Circumstantial evidence is of no less value than direct evidence."Source
— Judge (implied)
(Instructing the jury on the legal weight of circumstantial evidence.)
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Quote #3
"...before convicting Ms. Maxwell, you, the jury, must be satisfied of her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt from all the evidence in the case."Source
— Judge (implied)
(Instructing the jury on the standard of proof required for conviction.)
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Quote #4
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (2,282 characters)
Case 1:20-cr-00330-PAE Document 563 Filed 12/18/21 Page 141 of 167
1 Instruction No. 42: Direct and Circumstantial Evidence
2 I turn now to some general instructions. There are two types of evidence that you may
3 use in reaching your verdict. One type of evidence is direct evidence. One kind of direct
4 evidence is a witness’s testimony about something that the witness knows by virtue of his or her
5 own senses—something that the witness has seen, smelled, touched, or heard. Direct evidence
6 may also be in the form of an exhibit.
7 The other type of evidence is circumstantial evidence. Circumstantial evidence is
8 evidence that tends to prove one fact by proof of other facts. There is a simple example of
9 circumstantial evidence that is often used in this courthouse.
10 Assume that when you came into the courthouse this morning the sun was shining and it
11 was a nice day. Assume that there are blinds on the courtroom windows that are drawn and that
12 you cannot look outside. As you are sitting here, someone walks in with an umbrella that is
13 dripping wet. Someone else then walks in with a raincoat that is also dripping wet.
14 Now, you cannot look outside the courtroom and you cannot see whether or not it is
15 raining. So you have no direct evidence of that fact. But on the combination of the facts that I
16 have asked you to assume, it would be reasonable and logical for you to conclude that between
17 the time you arrived at the courthouse and the time these people walked in, it had started to rain.
18 That is all there is to circumstantial evidence. You infer based on reason, experience, and
19 common sense from an established fact the existence or the nonexistence of some other fact.
20 Many facts, such as a person’s state of mind, can only rarely be proved by direct
21 evidence. Circumstantial evidence is of no less value than direct evidence. It is a general rule
22 that the law makes no distinction between direct and circumstantial evidence, but simply requires
23 that, before convicting Ms. Maxwell, you, the jury, must be satisfied of her guilt beyond a
24 reasonable doubt from all the evidence in the case.
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