The Law and Psychology of Jury Instructions

Abstract

I. Introduction II. Types of Jury Instructions ... A. Charging Instructions ... B. Admonitions III. The Psychology of Jury Instructions ... A. Empirical Research about Charging Instructions ... 1. General Comprehensibility ... 2. Timing and Repetition ... 3. Cautionary Instructions ... B. Empirical Research about Admonitions IV. Sense and Nonsense in the Courtroom ... A. The Supreme Court ... B. Jury Instruction Practices Generally ... 1. Charging Instructions ... 2. Admonitions ... a. Instructions to Disregard ... b. Limiting Instructions ... c. Procedural Default Doctrine ... d. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Rule ... V. Suggestions for Law Reform ... A. Rewritten Pattern Instructions ... B. Abandoning Admonitions ... 1. In the Trial Court ... 2. On Appeal ... 3. The Problem That Won\u27t Go Away: The Defendant\u27s Criminal Record VI. Conclusio