California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from The People v. Delgado, G043174, Super. Ct. No. 08CF1856 (Cal. App. 2011):
"The court has a primary duty to help the jury understand the legal principles it is asked to apply. (People v. Thompkins (1987) 195 Cal.App.3d 244, 250251.) This does not mean the court must always elaborate on the standard instructions. Where the original instructions are themselves full and complete, the court has discretion under section 1138 to determine what additional explanations are sufficient to satisfy the jury's request for information. [Citations.]" (People v. Beardslee (1991) 53 Cal.3d 68, 97.)
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