Federal Jury Instructions Resource Page

The Federal Jury Instruction Resource Page highlights the key role of jury instructions on evidence issues. Use the Quick Navigation Links below to find particular jury instructions.

Overview

Importance Of Proper Instructions In Admitting Evidence

Jury instructions serve an important role on evidence issues. Through jury instructions, the trial court informs and guides the jury on how particular evidence may be considered. See, e.g., FRE 105 (“When evidence which is admissible as to one party or for one purpose but not admissible as to another party or for another purpose is admitted, the court, upon request, shall restrict the evidence to its proper scope and instruct the jury accordingly.”). Several case examples underscore the key function of jury instructions on evidence matters.
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Quick Navigation Links:

Overview (Complete Overview: Separate Page)
Federal Civil and Criminal Jury Instructions (By Circuit)
Subject-Area Jury Instructions

Trademark

Securities Law

Labor and Employment Law

Patent

Selected Criminal

Eyewitness Identification

Juror Use Of Electronic Social Media

Selected State Jury Instructions
Jury Instruction Quick Links [Pending]
Jury Instruction / Evidence Blog Posts (from the Federal Evidence Blog)

Model Federal Civil and Criminal Jury Instructions

By Circuit (Where Available)

Many of the model or pattern federal civil and criminal jury instructions for trial courts in each circuit are available in the table below. Prior versions of the jury instructions are also listed, where available, in the right column. If you are aware of any model federal jury instructions that are not included in the table below, please contact the Federal Evidence Review.

Jump to Jury Instructions for a Particular Circuit: First, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh.

http://federalevidence.com/pdf/JuryInst/8thCircuit.Criminal.JI.2013.pdf

Circuit	Current Instructions	Notes / Prior Instructions
First Circuit
First Circuit	Criminal Jury Instructions Updated Revisions to the Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions for the District Courts of the First Circuit (1998 edition updated through Nov. 2011)	2011 Revisions to the Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions for the District Courts of the First Circuit, Prepared by U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby, of the District of Maine Prior Instructions: Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions for the District Courts Of The First Circuit (1998 edition updated through 2010) Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions for the District Courts of the First Circuit
First Circuit	Civil Jury Instructions Employment Discrimination (for disparate treatment cases) (February 2002 draft; updated June 2010) Excessive Force Cases (for Fourth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment Claims) (June 2002 draft; updated June 2010) Maritime Employee Personal Injury (for Jones Act cases) (June 2002 draft; updated June 2010) Pattern Jury Instructions For Cases Of Railroad Employee Personal Injury (for RELA and FSAA cases) (June 2002 draft; updated June 2010)	2010 Revisions to the Pattern Civil Jury Instructions for the District Courts Of the First Circuit, Prepared by U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby, of the District of Maine (2002 drafts; Updated in 2010)
Third Circuit
Third Circuit	Criminal Jury Instructions Third Circuit Criminal Jury Instructions Preliminary Instructions Before Opening Statements Model Criminal Jury Instructions for the District Courts Of The Third Circuit (2009) Elements Of Criminal Offenses List of Revisions Approved (Nov. 2009)	Prepared by the Committee On Model Criminal Civil Jury Instructions Within the Third Circuit (2009 version; drafting started in 2004)
Third Circuit	Civil Jury Instructions Introduction Model Civil Jury Instructions for the District Courts Of The Third Circuit (2010)	Prepared by the Committee On Model Criminal Civil Jury Instructions Within the Third Circuit (2009 version; drafting started in 2004)
Fifth Circuit
Fifth Circuit	Criminal Jury Instructions Fifth Circuit Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions (2001)	Prepared by the Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions, District Judges Association, Fifth Circuit (Update of 1997 version)
Fifth Circuit	Civil Jury Instructions Fifth Circuit Pattern Civil Jury Instructions (2006) Fifth Circuit Labor and Employment Law Pattern Jury Charges (2009)	Prepared by the Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions, District Judges Association, Fifth Circuit
Sixth Circuit
Sixth Circuit	Criminal Jury Instructions Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions (June 13, 2011)	Prepared by the Committee on Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions, District Judges Association, Sixth Circuit No drafted pattern civil jury instructions Prior Instructions: Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions (2009)
Seventh Circuit
Seventh Circuit	Criminal Jury Instructions Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions of the Seventh Circuit (Feb. 4, 2013) (updating 2012 Instructions) Revised Withdrawal Jury Instructions 5.13, 5.14(A) and 5.14(B) based on the recent decision in Smith v. United States, 568 U.S. _, 133 S.Ct. 714 (Jan. 9, 2013) (Instructions updated Feb. 4, 2013) Letter of the Committee on Federal Criminal Jury Instructions of the Seventh Circuit (Oct. 4, 2012)	Prepared by the Committee on Federal Criminal Jury Instructions of the Seventh Circuit Prior Instructions: Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions of the Seventh Circuit (2012) Pattern Criminal Federal Jury Instructions for the Seventh Circuit (1998)
Seventh Circuit	Civil Jury Instructions Federal Civil Jury Instructions of the Seventh Circuit (2009)	Prepared by the Committee on Pattern Civil Jury Instructions of the Seventh Circuit
Eighth Circuit
Eighth Circuit	Criminal Jury Instructions Manual Of Model Criminal Jury Instructions for the District Courts Of The Eighth Circuit (2013)	Prepared by the Judicial Committee on Model Jury Instructions for the Eighth Circuit Prior Instructions: Manual Of Model Criminal Jury Instructions for the District Courts Of The Eighth Circuit (2012) 2010 Draft Revisions Manual Of Model Criminal Jury Instructions for the District Courts Of The Eighth Circuit (2009)
Eighth Circuit	Civil Jury Instructions Manual Of Model Civil Jury Instructions for the District Courts Of The Eighth Circuit (2012)	Prepared by Judicial Committee on Model Jury Instructions for the Eighth Circuit Prior Instructions: 2010 Draft Revisions Manual Of Model Criminal Jury Instructions for the District Courts Of The Eighth Circuit (2009)
Ninth Circuit
Ninth Circuit	Criminal Jury Instructions Manual of Model Criminal Instructions (2010)	Prepared by the Ninth Circuit Jury Instructions Committee Manual of Model Criminal Instructions (2003) (Updated periodically through May 2010)
Ninth Circuit	Civil Jury Instructions Manual of Model Jury Instructions (2007) (updated through April 2011)	Prepared by the Ninth Circuit Jury Instructions Committee Prior Instructions: Manual of Model Jury Instructions (2007) (updated through 2010)
Tenth Circuit
Tenth Circuit	Criminal Jury Instructions Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions (2011)	Prepared by the Criminal Pattern Jury Instruction Committee of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit No civil instructions drafted Prior Instructions: Pattern Jury Instructions (2005)
Eleventh Circuit
Eleventh Circuit	Criminal Jury Instructions Pattern Jury Instructions (2010)	Prepared by the Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions of the Judicial Council of the Eleventh Circuit (Updating and extending the 2003 edition)
Eleventh Circuit	Civil Jury Instructions Pattern Jury Instructions (2005)	Prepared by the Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions of the Judicial Council of the Eleventh Circuit

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Subject-Area Jury Instructions

Jump to Jury Instructions for a Particular Subject-Area: Trademark, Securities Law, Selected Criminal, Eyewitness Identification, Model Labor and Employment Law, Model Patent, and Juror Use Of Electronic Social Media.

If you are aware of any model federal jury instructions that are not included in the subject-area table below, please contact the Federal Evidence Review.

Latest Instructions	Drafter / Notes
Trademark Instructions
Trademark Draft Trademark Instructions (2009)	Seventh Circuit Pattern Jury Instruction Committee and Trademark Subcommittee (Seventh Circuit Intellectual Property Model Jury Instructions Project)
Securities Law Instructions
Securities Law Jury Instructions Under Securities Laws (Updated 1999)	North American Securities Administrators Association
Selected Criminal Jury Instructions
Criminal Tax Criminal Tax Jury Instructions (2008)	United States Department of Justice, Criminal Tax Manual
Excessive Force Cases Fourth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment claims (June 2002 draft; updated June 2010)	2010 Revisions to the Pattern Civil Jury Instructions for the District Courts of the First Circuit, Prepared by U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby, of the District of Maine (2002 drafts; Updated in 2010)
Intercepting Electronic Communications Intercepting Communications (18 U.S.C. § 2511) (2007)	United States Department of Justice, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section
Computer Crime Offenses Federal Computer Crimes (18 U.S.C. § 1030) (2007)	United States Department of Justice, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section
Criminal Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions (1987)	Report of the Subcommittee on Pattern Jury Instructions, Committee on the Operation of the Jury System, Judicial Conference of the United States (1987 Federal Judicial Center publication)
Eyewitness Identification Instructions
Eyewitness Identification Federal Jury Instructions State Jury Instructions	In Perry v. New Hampshire, 565 US _, 132 S. Ct. 716 (Jan. 11, 2012) (No. 10-8974), the Supreme Court held, in an eight to one ruling, that the Due Process Clause does not require judicial review concerning the reliability of eyewitness identification which is not arranged by the police and challenged as unduly suggestive. The jury is assigned the role to determine the reliability of the evidence. One of five "protections" in the criminal justice process noted by the Supreme Court includes "jury instructions on both the fallibility of eyewitness identification." Perry, _ U.S. at _. Blog Post: Supreme Court Watch: Perry v. New Hampshire And The Jury's Role In Assessing Identification Evidence.
Model Labor and Employment Law Jury Instructions
Labor and Employment Law Fifth Circuit Labor and Employment Law Pattern Jury Charges (2009)	Prepared by the Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions, District Judges Association, Fifth Circuit
Employment Discrimination Pattern Jury Instructions For Employment Discrimination (Disparate Treatment) (February 2002 draft; updated June 2010)	2010 Revisions to the Pattern Civil Jury Instructions for the District Courts of the First Circuit, Prepared by U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby, of the District of Maine (2002 drafts; Updated in 2010)
Railroad Employee Personal Injury Railroad Employee Liability Act and Federal Safety Appliance Act Cases (June 2002 draft; updated June 2010)	2010 Revisions to the Pattern Civil Jury Instructions for the District Courts of the First Circuit, Prepared by U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby, of the District of Maine (2002 drafts; Updated in 2010)
Maritime Employee Personal Injury Jones Act Cases (June 2002 draft; updated June 2010)	2010 Revisions to the Pattern Civil Jury Instructions for the District Courts Of the First Circuit, Prepared by U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby, of the District of Maine (2002 drafts; Updated in 2010)
Model Patent Jury Instructions
Model Patent Jury Instructions (2010)	Federal Bar Association Model Patent Jury Instructions (2009)
Model Patent Jury Instructions (2009)	The National Jury Instruction Project
Model Patent Jury Instructions for the Northern District of California (Nov. 2007)	U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Guide to Model Patent Jury Instructions (2007)	American Intellectual Property Law Association Prior Instructions: Guide to Model Patent Jury Instructions (1998)
Uniform Jury Instructions of Patent Cases in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (1993)	U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware
Model Patent Jury Instructions (2009)	The National Jury Instruction Project
Patent Infringement (2009)	Transamerica Life Insurance, et al. v. Lincoln National Life Insurance (ND Iowa) (No. C 06-110-MWB) (02/02/2009)
Juror Use Of Electronic Social Media
Juror Use Of Electronic Communication Technologies Revised Proposed Model Jury Instructions On The Use of Electronic Technology to Conduct Research on or Communicate about a Case (June 2012)	United States Judicial Conference Committee on Court Administration and Case Management Instruction Example: "You may not communicate with anyone about the case on your cell phone, through e-mail, Blackberry, iPhone, text messaging, or on Twitter, through any blog or website, including Facebook, Google+, My Space, LinkedIn, or YouTube. You may not use any similar technology of social media, even if I have not specifically mentioned it here. I expect you will inform me as soon as you become aware of another juror’s violation of these instructions." Former Proposed Model Jury Instruction (December 2009) Blog Post: Revised Model Jury Instruction Issued On The Use Of Social Media Blog Post: New Report On The Use Of Social Media By Jurors Blog Post: Model Jury Instruction Recommended To Deter Juror Use Of Electronic Communication Technologies During Trial
Ninth Circuit Model Civil Jury Instructions § 2.14 (Evidence In Electronic Format) (2009)	Ninth Circuit Jury Instructions Committee Instruction Example: "The sole purpose of providing the computer in the jury room is to enable jurors to view the exhibits received in evidence in this case. You may not use the computer for any other purpose...." Blog Post: Guiding The Jury’s Use Of Evidence In Electronic Format During Their Deliberations
Ninth Circuit Model Criminal Instruction § 1.8, at 9 (Conduct of the Jury)	Manual of Model Criminal Jury Instructions for the District Courts of the Ninth Circuit (2010) Instruction Example: "Do not communicate with anyone in any way and do not let anyone else communicate with you in any way about the merits of the case or anything to do with it. This includes discussing the case in person, in writing, by phone or electronic means, via email, text messaging, or any Internet chat room, blog, website or other feature." Blog Post: New Model Ninth Circuit Admonition To Jurors On Use Of High-Tech Communications Resources
Ninth Circuit Model Criminal Instruction § 2.1, at 17 (Cautionary Instruction - First Recess) (2010) (emphasis added); see also Instruction 7.2 (Consideration of Evidence - Conduct of the Jury)	Manual of Model Criminal Jury Instructions for the District Courts of the Ninth Circuit (2010) Instruction Example: "Remember, until the trial is over, do not discuss this case with anyone, including your fellow jurors, members of your family, people involved in the trial, or anyone else, and do not allow others to discuss the case with you. This includes discussing the case in Internet chat rooms or through Internet blogs, Internet bulletin boards, emails or text messaging." Blog Post: New Model Ninth Circuit Admonition To Jurors On Use Of High-Tech Communications Resources
Jury Instructions from Judge Joseph Bataillon: Outside Communications And Research (D. Neb.) (Nov. 2011)	Instruction provides in part: "You, as jurors, must decide this case based solely on the evidence presented here within the four walls of this courtroom because the parties must have an opportunity to respond to any information you consider in deciding this case. This means that during the trial you must not conduct any independent research about this case, the matters in the case, and the individuals or corporations involved in the case. In other words, you should not consult dictionaries or reference materials, search the internet, websites, blogs, chat rooms, social networking websites including Facebook, My Space, LinkedIn or YouTube, or use your cell phones, iPhones, text messaging, Twitter or any other electronic tools or devices to obtain information about this case or to help you decide the case." Blog Post: New Report On the Use of Social Media By Jurors Report: Jurors’ Use of Social Media During Trials and Deliberations: A Report to the Judicial Conference Committee on Court Administration and Case Management (Nov. 2011) Report Survey (Appendix B) Responding Judges by District (Appendix A)
Jury Instructions from Judge Mark Bennett: Conduct of Jurors During Trial (N.D. Iowa) (Nov. 2011)	Instruction provides in part: "[D]o not provide any information to anyone by any means about this case until after I have accepted your verdict. That means do not talk face-to-face or use any electronic device or media, such as the telephone, a cell or smart phone, Blackberry, PDA, computer, the Internet, any Internet service, any text or instant messaging service, any Internet chat room, blog, or website such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, or Twitter, to communicate to anyone any information about this case until I accept your verdict."
Jury Instructions from Judge Anna J. Brown (D. Or.) (Nov. 2011)	Instruction provides in part: "Do not communicate with anyone in any way and do not let anyone else communicate with you in any way about the merits of the case or anything to do with it. This includes discussing the case in person, in writing, by phone or electronic means, via email, text messaging, or any Internet chat room, blog, website or other feature."
Jury Instructions for Judge Leonard Davis: Post-Impaneling Instruction, Pre-Preliminary Instruction on Outside Research and Social Networking Sites (E.D. Tex.) (Nov. 2011)	Instruction provides in part: "This also means that if you have a social networking Internet site or tool, like Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter, you should not discuss or even mention the case at all on those sites. Do not post updates about what is going on in the case. Do not send or receive text messages about this case. It is important not only that you be fair and impartial, but that you also appear to be fair and impartial. [¶] Do not make any independent investigation of any fact or matter in this case. Do not learn anything about the case from any other source. Do not watch TV or read the newspaper about this case. Do not use the Internet or Google to find out more information about the case, the parties, or the attorneys in this case. You are to be guided solely by what you see and hear in this trial."
Jury Instructions for Judge Dale Fischer (C.D. Cal.) (Nov. 2011)	Instruction provides in part: "Do not Google or otherwise research on the Internet or look up any information about the case or anyone who has anything to do with it, or do any research with any electronic device, including droids, iPhones, iPads, Blackberrys, Palm Pilots, or other mobile web devices. Do not communicate by email, text message, or blog, or by MySpace, Facebook, electronic bulletin board, chat room, message board, or twitter or tweet with anyone, in any way, about this case."
Jury Instructions from Judge William T. Moore, Jr. (S.D. Ga.) (Nov. 2011)	Instruction provides in part: "You are not to seek any additional information on the subject matter of this case, the laws in any way related to this case, or any other factual or legal matter that has any connection to this case through the use of the internet, websites, blogs, or any other electronic resource that you can access either through a computer or your cellular telephone. Also, you are not to communicate with anyone concerning this case in any way by using your cell phones, Blackberries, iPhones, or other smart phones or computers, or through the use of Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google +, or any other social networking service. It would be a serious violation of your oath to do so."
Jury Instruction from Judge Dan Polster (N.D. Ohio) (Nov. 2011)	Instruction provides in part: "[Y]ou absolutely must not try to get information from any other source. The ban on sources outside the courtroom applies to information from all sources such as family, friends, the Internet, reference books, newspapers, magazines, television, radio, a Blackberry, iPhone, Droid or other smart phone, iPad and any other electronic device. This ban on outside information also includes any personal investigation, including visiting the site of the incident giving rise to this case, looking into news accounts, talking to possible witnesses, reenacting the allegations in the Complaint, or any other act that would otherwise affect the fairness and impartiality that you must have as juror." "[Y]ou must not have contact with anyone about this case, other than the judge and court employees. This includes sending or receiving email, Twitter, text messages or similar updates, using blogs and chat rooms, and the use of Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and other social media sites of any kind regarding this case or any aspect of your jury service during the trial. If anyone tries to contact you about the case, directly or indirectly, do not allow that person to have contact with you. If any person persists in contacting you or speaking with you, that could be jury tampering, which is a very serious crime. If anyone contacts you in this manner, report this to my courtroom deputy as quickly as possible."
"The Admonition"	Ohio State Bar Association (2010) Instruction Example: "The ban on sources outside the courtroom applies to information from all sources such as family, friends, the Internet, reference books, newspapers, magazines, television, radio, a computer, a Blackberry, iPhone, smart phone, and any other electronic device." Blog Post: Another Model Jury Instruction Issued To Discourage The Use Of Electronic Communication Technologies During Trial (Ohio State Bar Association)

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Selected State Jury Instructions

Jump to Jury Instructions for a Particular State: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia.

If you are aware of any model state jury instructions that are not included in the table below, please contact the Federal Evidence Review.

Latest Instructions	Drafter / Notes
Alaska Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions Civil Pattern Jury Instructions	Criminal and Civil Pattern Jury Instructions Committee
Arizona Standard Criminal Instructions Revised Arizona Criminal Jury Instructions Cumulative Supplement (3rd ed. 2011)	State Bar of Arizona, Criminal Jury Instructions Committee
California Criminal Jury Instructions (2011) Criminal Jury Instructions Supplement With New and Revised Instructions (April 29, 2011) Civil Jury Instructions (2012)	Judicial Council of California
Colorado Model Criminal Jury Instructions	Criminal Jury Instruction Committee of the Colorado Supreme Court
Connecticut Criminal Jury Instructions Civil Jury Instructions	Civil and Criminal Jury Instruction Committees
Delaware Revised Civil Pattern Jury Instructions (As Revised Aug. 15, 2006)	Superior Court of Delaware
Florida Standard Jury Instructions In Criminal Cases	Florida Supreme Court
Georgia Criminal Jury Instructions (2010) Civil Jury Instructions (2010)	Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia
Idaho Civil Jury Instructions	Civil Jury Instructions Committee
Illinois Criminal Jury Instructions Civil Jury Instructions	Supreme Court Committee on Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases
Massachusetts Criminal Jury Instructions	Massachusetts Judicial Branch
New Hampshire New Hampshire Bar Drafting Committee Criminal Jury Instructions (Sept. 2010)	Criminal Jury Instructions (1985) (reference material) Supreme Court Committee on Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases
New York Criminal Jury Instructions: Voir Dire Criminal Jury Instructions: Preliminary Criminal Jury Instructions: Final	Committee on Criminal Jury Instructions
North Dakota Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions Civil Pattern Jury Instructions	State Bar Association of North Dakota in conjunction with the North Dakota Pattern Jury Instruction Commission
Oklahoma Criminal Jury Instructions Civil Jury Instructions	Oklahoma State Courts Network
Tennessee Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions Civil Pattern Jury Instructions (2006 ed.)	Tennessee Criminal Law Resources
Utah Criminal and Civil Model Utah Jury Instructions (2d ed.)	Advisory Committee on Civil and Criminal Jury Instructions
Vermont CriminalPattern Jury Instructions (Sept. 2011) Civil Pattern Jury Instructions	Vermont State Bar
Washington Criminal and Civil Pattern Jury Instructions	Washington Supreme Court Committee on Jury Instructions
West Virginia Criminal Jury Instructions (6th ed. 2003)	Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia

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Jury Instruction Quick Links

[Pending]

As a reference aid, these links will be provided in the future to help highlight key rules of evidence associated which specific model or suggested instructions.

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Jury Instruction / Evidence Blog Posts

Blog posts from the Federal Evidence Blog addressing aspects of the Federal Rules of Evidence that involve federal jury instructions are available here.

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Federal Evidence Review

Highlighting Recent Federal Evidence Cases and Developments