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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Jewell instruction
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A quick definition of Jewell instruction:
Term: Jewell Instruction
Definition: A rule in criminal law where a court tells the jury that a defendant can still be found guilty of a crime even if they claim they didn't know certain important facts about the crime. For example, if someone takes a bag from a known drug dealer and smells marijuana coming from it, they can't claim they didn't know it contained drugs. The court can tell the jury that the defendant deliberately avoided knowing the facts and is still guilty. This is also called a deliberate-indifference instruction.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Jewell instruction is a legal term used in criminal procedure. It refers to a court's instruction to the jury that a defendant can be found guilty of a crime even if they claim ignorance of some essential fact related to the crime. This is because the surrounding circumstances would have put a reasonable person on notice that there was a high probability of illegality, and the defendant deliberately avoided knowledge of the critical facts.
Example: Let's say a person is caught with a bag of drugs, and they claim that they didn't know the bag contained drugs. However, the bag was taken from a known drug dealer, and the person noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the bag. In this case, the court may give a Jewell instruction to the jury, allowing them to infer that the person had guilty knowledge of the drugs, even if they claim ignorance.
This example illustrates how a Jewell instruction can be used to hold a defendant accountable for their actions, even if they try to claim ignorance or lack of knowledge.