Reasonable doubts in the Casey Anthony trial?
The Casey Anthony trial was not the first high-profile trial tried in a central Florida courtroom in which an infamous defendant charged with perpetrating horrible crimes against a child was, in the words of a reporter covering the trial, able to "squeeze through the door of reasonable doubt." The other trial to which I refer is Florida v. Gettys This summer, I had the pleasure of teaching an evidence course at Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. The summer session started just as the Anthony trial was about to start. Although the case had been in the news since 2008, I really had not focused on it — although I recall clicking the cable remote looking for a ballgame, and hearing several blaring references to "tot mom" that did not appear to be a term of endearment. From an evidence-class standpoint, the Anthony case was quite interesting, even apart from the tabloid fascination with the cover-girl-beauty defendant, and the ghastly death of the doe-eyed adorable child. The case also raised several fascinating questions of substantive criminal law, procedure and trial tactics, all areas of academic interest to me. One of the cardinal principles of evidence law is that "we judge the acts, not the person." From the outset, that concept was not easy to square with the mountain of evidence presented against Casey that seemed directed to prove that she was a horrible person, a possible misuse of character evidence despite the prosecution's contention the evidence was probative of Casey's consciousness of guilt. This theme would resonate throughout the trial, the verdict and some of the jurors' post-verdict comments. The case was also chock full of scientific and expert testimony, some of which had not been subject to peer review, and other evidence was based on somewhat novel techniques, to say the least. The expert testimony offered in the case would have made good exam questions. The ability to cross-reference the course materials to what was unfolding in that Orlando courtroom made for a lively summer semester, playing out in real time. An evidence course also focuses on several interrelated aspects concerning the burden of proof. A trial is not just about getting evidence admitted. No one wins a trial by simply having all of his or her evidence admitted. Rather, the evidence must be of sufficient weight and credibility to satisfy the requisite burden of proof.Washington Pattern Jury Instructions - News
5 The trial court excluded this testimony, finding that, based on the bail jumping statute and pattern jury instructions, the proffered testimony did not relate to a defense to bail jumping. The State's evidence included documents from Charles's
We consider first Li's argument that his counsel should have proposed a specific intent instruction. Because there was no controlling case law nor pattern jury instruction for alien-harboring in the Seventh Circuit, Li's trial counsel proposed a jury
In law school, and reflected in rudimentary "circumstantial evidence" jury instructions, circumstantial evidence is often simplistically illustrated with the hypothetical that if you go to bed and it is dry on the ground — and when you wake up there
[Operator Instructions] I would now like to turn the conference over to your host, Mr. Jim Gustafson. Sir, you may begin your conference. Thank you, Ali. And welcome, everyone, to our second quarter conference call. We appreciate your continued
The pattern and tactics are becoming clear. Maggie Gallagher, along with many of the religious right are seeing the truth in the fact that political debate and lobbying isn't necessarily the way to maintain and protect their “values.
New Pattern Jury Instructions | Washington Labor Law Law Blog ...
The entire chapter on pattern jury instructions for state employment cases was just updated. Pattern instructions are templates used by lawyers and judges to draft instructions to be read to the jury. The instructions tell the jury what an employee has to prove for each type of employment claim and, where applicable, employer defenses to such claims.
The instructions also include a short description, which is not read to the jury, about the statutes and relevant case law involved in each type of employment claim.
In addition to their use at trial, the instructions can be used by managers, supervisors, and HR professionals as a concise summary of the different types of employment claims employees can bring, the elements employees have to prove to win, employer defenses, and relevant case law.
The instructions can also provide employers involved in litigation an outline of what their attorneys are trying to prove or disprove to improve better communication about litigation strategy. The instructions can be found at Part XVI, Chapter 330 here .
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7 See Nieland, Assessing the Impact of Pattem Jury Instructions, 62 JUDICATURE 185. 188 (1978). 8 £./. . WASHINGTON PATTERN JURY INSTRUCTIONS — CRIMINAL ...Personal injury and wrongful death damages calculations, transatlantic dialogue
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The Washington Pattern Instructions (WPI) Committee is pleased to announce that the state's pattern jury instructions are available to the public on a free web-site. ...
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This book provides simple, unbiased and accurate statements of law surrounding jury instruction, including insightful commentary from Washington Supr
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