Jury Instructions in a Minnesota Criminal Trial

What Jury Instructions Are

After the evidence and closing arguments, the judge instructs the jury on the law. These instructions tell the jury the elements of each charged offense, that the State must prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt, the presumption of innocence, how to weigh evidence, and any specific legal rules that apply to the case. The jury must follow these instructions in reaching a verdict.

What this means for you: The instructions translate the abstract law into the questions the jury actually decides. How they're worded can shape whether the jury convicts or acquits.

Why the Wording Matters So Much

Because the jury applies the law as the instructions state it, small differences in wording can matter. An instruction that accurately captures a required mental state, a defense, or a definition can be the difference in a close case. Both sides propose instructions and argue over disputed ones, and the judge decides what the jury hears.

What this means for you: Defense advocacy over instructions — getting the right ones included and inaccurate ones rejected — is substantive work that can directly affect the verdict.

Lesser-Included Offense Instructions

One important category is the lesser-included offense instruction. In some cases, the evidence may support convicting on a less serious offense than the one charged. Whether the jury is instructed on a lesser-included offense can significantly affect the outcome — sometimes giving the jury a middle option rather than an all-or-nothing choice. Whether such an instruction is warranted depends on the evidence and is often contested.

Defense-Specific Instructions

If the defense raises a recognized defense — self-defense, for example — it may be entitled to an instruction explaining that defense to the jury, when the evidence supports it. Securing an accurate instruction on a defense theory is essential, because a jury can only apply a defense it's been properly told about.

Instructions and Appeals

Disputes over jury instructions are a frequent source of appellate issues. An erroneous instruction — one that misstates the law, omits an element, or wrongly denies a warranted instruction — can be grounds for challenging a conviction on appeal. Preserving objections to instructions at trial is important for protecting those issues.

What this means for you: Getting the instructions right protects you twice — at trial, where the jury applies them, and on appeal, where instructional errors can support relief.

How Instructions Fit the Trial

Jury instructions come at the end of the trial, after the jury is chosen through voir dire and the evidence is presented. They frame the deliberation that produces the verdict, and they connect directly to the presumption of innocence and proof beyond a reasonable doubt.