4.10 Presumptions

Comment

The Committee recommends that extreme caution be used in instructing the jury regarding presumptions. “A jury instruction cannot relieve the State of the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt a crucial element of the criminal offense.” Patterson v. Gomez, 223 F.3d 959, 962 (9th Cir. 2000). Accordingly, “if a ‘reasonable juror could have given the presumption conclusive or persuasion-shifting effect,’ the instruction is unconstitutional.” Id. (quoting Sandstrom v. Montana, 442 U.S. 510, 519 (1979)).

Revised Mar. 2018