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Welcome to The Forecite Blog™ -- Criminal Jury Instructions Prepared by Tom Lundy. This is a blog about criminal jury instructions from the defense perspective. The goal of the blog is to highlight recent state and federal cases which suggest issues and strategies relevant to jury instruction practice. The blog will also include selected sample instructions from recent cases.

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Thomas F. Lundy
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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Second Allen Instruction Without Request Is Reversible Error (9th Circuit)

The 9th Circuit has held that it is per se error to give a second Allen charge where the jury has not requested one, because it conveys a message that "the jurors have acted contrary to the earlier instruction as that instruction was properly to be understood. ('Apparently you didn't listen to what I said before, so I'll repeat it.')," and that message serves no purpose other than impermissible coercion. United States v. Seawell, 550 F.2d 1159, 1163 (9th Cir. 1977); see also United States v. Evanston, (7/5/2011, 9th Cir. Ariz., No. 10-10159).

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PG IX(J) - Instructions to a Deadlocked Jury