The following excerpt is from U.S. v. Nolasco, 881 F.2d 678 (9th Cir. 1989):
Subsequently, in United States v. Wosepka, 757 F.2d 1006 (9th Cir.), modified, 787 F.2d 1294 (1985), we explained our holding in Witt. We held that while the district court has the discretion to refuse to give an instruction defining reasonable doubt if "the issues to be resolved by the jury ... [are] fairly staightforward and the evidence [is] not complex," id. at 1009, the court may not refuse to do so if the case is one of any complexity.
The above passage should not be considered legal advice. Reliable answers to complex legal questions require comprehensive research memos. To learn more visit www.alexi.com.