The government’s burden of proof in any criminal matter is to prove every element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt
In federal criminal cases, the jury is given the following jury instruction to follow, which sets out the legal meaning of reasonable doubt as follows:
Federal Jury Instruction 3.5 – Proof Beyond A Reasonable Doubt
Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is proof that leaves you firmly convinced the defendant is guilty. It is not required that the government prove guilt beyond all possible doubt.
A reasonable doubt is a doubt based upon reason and common sense and is not based purely on speculation. It may arise from a careful and impartial consideration of all the evidence or from a lack of evidence.
If, after careful and impartial consideration of all the evidence, you are not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty, it is your duty to find the defendant not guilty. On the other hand, if after careful and impartial consideration of all the evidence, you are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty, it is your duty to find the defendant guilty.
