| JURY INSTRUCTIONS ON REASONABLE DOUBT |
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| A defendant cannot be convicted of a crime unless the prosecution proves that the defendant committed the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. The standard of beyond a reasonable doubt is a constitutional requirement of due process. The United States Constitution does not require a trial court to instruct a jury on the definition of reasonable doubt. However, the Constitution does not prohibit a trial court from providing a jury with a definition of reasonable doubt. More... |
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| Jury Selection in Capital Cases |
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| In a case in which a defendant may face the death penalty, jury selection takes on additional and different concerns than those faced in jury selection generally. The nature of the case, penalty phase procedures and length of the case are all additional factors that must be taken into consideration. More... |
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| Severance of Offenses and Defendants |
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| If any of the defendants would be prejudiced by a joinder of defendants or offenses then the defendants may file a motion for severance. A motion for severance may be filed with respect to the defendants and/or the offenses charged in the indictments. It is within the trial court's discretion to grant or deny the motion for severance. More... |
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| Alternate Discovery Methods for a Defendant |
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| A defendant is entitled to conduct discovery prior to his criminal trial. There are numerous alternative methods in which the defendant may conduct discovery in order to obtain information prior to his trial. More... |
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| SCHOOL SEARCHES |
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| The basic requirement for a search of a student is the reasonableness of the search. If the school officials have a reasonable belief that the search will produce evidence that the student has violated any rules of the school, the officials may search the student. More... |
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