WPIC 4.24 Definition of the Crime—Form
11 WAPRAC WPIC 4.24Washington Practice Series TMWashington Pattern Jury Instructions--Criminal
11 Wash. Prac., Pattern Jury Instr. Crim. WPIC 4.24 (5th Ed)
Washington Practice Series TM
Washington Pattern Jury Instructions--Criminal
December 2021 Update
Part I. General Instructions
WPIC CHAPTER 4.20. Elements of the Crime—Format
WPIC 4.24 Definition of the Crime—Form
A person commits the crime of (name of crime) when he or she (set forth language of statute or ordinance being defined).
NOTE ON USE
Use this instruction if it will help the jury understand the charged offense or if it is necessary to define a particular offense for the jury. See the Comment below.
Use the above framework to define crimes not listed or patterned in this volume.
COMMENT
There is no legal requirement that an instruction separately defining an offense be given.
The question whether to give a separate definition instruction is discretionary with the trial judge. In some cases a definition instruction may be redundant in view of the “elements” instruction given. In other cases, a definition instruction may help the jury understand the charged offense. Moreover, it may be necessary sometimes to define a particular offense for the jury because the offense is an element of another offense.
[Current as of May 2019.]
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