Is a jury instruction that instructs the jury to establish that an essential element of a criminal offence must be proven?

MultiRegion, United States of America

The following excerpt is from Dickey v. Lewis, 859 F.2d 1365 (9th Cir. 1988):

Subsequently we have held that, "[a] jury instruction is constitutionally defective if it creates a mandatory presumption, either conclusive or rebuttable, which shifts from the prosecution the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt an essential element of a criminal offense." United States v. Washington, 819 F.2d 221, 225 (9th Cir.1987).

"In contrast, an instruction advising of a permissive inference as to an essential element does not violate due process unless 'the suggested conclusion is not one that reason and common sense justify in light of the proven facts before the jury.' " Id. (quoting Francis v. Franklin, 471 U.S. 307, 314-15, 105 S.Ct. 1965, 1971-72, 85 L.Ed.2d 344 (1985)).

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