Freeman v. Barnhart et al

Filing 152

Amended Proposed Preliminary Jury Instructions. Signed by Judge Jeffrey S. White on December 2, 2008. (jswlc1, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 12/2/2008)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA KIMBERLY FREEMAN, Plaintiff, v. MICHAEL J. ASTRUE, Defendant. / AMENDED PROPOSED PRELIMINARY JURY INSTRUCTIONS No. C 06-04900 JSW

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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DUTY OF JURY

Ladies and gentlemen: You are now the jury in this case, and I want to take a few minutes to tell you something about your duties as jurors and to give you some instructions. At the end of the trial, I will give you more detailed instructions. Those instructions will control your deliberations. You should not take anything I may say or do during the trial as indicating what I think of the evidence or what your verdict should be.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 parties:

CLAIMS AND DEFENSES

To help you follow the evidence, I will give you a brief summary of the positions of the

The Plaintiff claims that Defendant discriminated against her when she was terminated and that her race was a factor in the termination. The Plaintiff has the burden of proving these claims. The Defendant denies that Plaintiff's employment was terminated based on her race, and states that he is not liable because the Defendant terminated Plaintiff's employment for a legitimate reason which was non-discriminatory.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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WHAT IS EVIDENCE

The evidence you are to consider in deciding what the facts are consists of: 1. 2. 3. the sworn testimony of any witness; the exhibits which are received into evidence; and any facts to which the lawyers stipulate.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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WHAT IS NOT EVIDENCE

The following things are not evidence, and you must not consider them as evidence in deciding the facts of this case: 1. 2. 3. 4. statements and arguments of the attorneys; questions and objections of the attorneys; testimony that I instruct you to disregard; and anything you may see or hear when the court is not in session even if what you see or hear is done or said by one of the parties or by one of the witnesses.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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EVIDENCE FOR LIMITED PURPOSE

Some evidence may be admitted for a limited purpose only. When I instruct you that an item of evidence has been admitted for a limited purpose, you must consider it only for that limited purpose and for no other.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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DIRECT AND CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE

Evidence may be direct or circumstantial. Direct evidence is direct proof of a fact, such as testimony by a witness about what that witness personally saw or heard or did. Circumstantial evidence is proof of one or more facts from which you could find another fact. You should consider both kinds of evidence. The law makes no distinction between the weight to be given to either direct or circumstantial evidence. It is for you to decide how much weight to give to any evidence.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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RULING ON OBJECTIONS

There are rules of evidence that control what can be received into evidence. When a lawyer asks a question or offers an exhibit into evidence and a lawyer on the other side thinks that it is not permitted by the rules of evidence, that lawyer may object. If I overrule the objection, the question may be answered or the exhibit received. If I sustain the objection, the question cannot be answered, and the exhibit cannot be received. Whenever I sustain an objection to a question, you must ignore the question and must not guess what the answer might have been. Sometimes I may order that evidence be stricken from the record and that you disregard or ignore the evidence. That means that when you are deciding the case, you must not consider the evidence that I told you to disregard.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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CREDIBILITY OF WITNESSES

In deciding the facts in this case, you may have to decide which testimony to believe and which testimony not to believe. You may believe everything a witness says, or part of it, or none of it. In considering the testimony of any witness, you may take into account: 1. the opportunity and ability of the witness to see or hear or know the things testified to; the witness' memory; the witness' manner while testifying; the witness' interest in the outcome of the case and any bias or prejudice; whether other evidence contradicted the witness' testimony; the reasonableness of the witness' testimony in light of all the other evidence; and 7. any other factors that bear on believability.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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The weight of the evidence as to a fact does not necessarily depend on the number of witnesses who testify.

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ORDER OF WITNESSES

Normally during a trial, the Plaintiff puts on all of her evidence and witnesses, with limited cross-examination by the Defendant, then the defendant puts on all of his evidence and witnesses. However, in this case, several witnesses are being called by both parties. So that these witnesses do not have to come and testify twice, I am allowing both parties to examine the witnesses fully. I am telling you this so that you won't be confused by hearing evidence that may sound like it is part of the Defendant's case before the Plaintiff has rested.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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CONDUCT OF THE JURY

I will now say a few words about your conduct as jurors. First, you are not to discuss the case with anyone, including your fellow jurors, members of your family, people involved in the trial, or anyone else, nor are you allowed to permit others to discuss the case with you. If anyone approaches you and tries to talk to you about the case please let me know about it immediately; Second, do not read any news stories or articles or listen to any radio or television reports about the case or about anyone who has anything to do with it; Third, do not do any research, such as consulting dictionaries, searching the Internet or using other reference materials, and do not make any investigation about the case on your own; Fourth, if you need to communicate with me simply give a signed note to my Courtroom Deputy to give to me; and Fifth, do not make up your mind about what the verdict should be until after you have gone to the jury room to decide the case and you and your fellow jurors have discussed the evidence. Keep an open mind until then. Finally, until this case is given to you for your deliberation and verdict, you are not to discuss the case with your fellow jurors.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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NO TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE TO JURY

At the end of the trial, you will have to make your decision based on what you recall of the evidence. You will not have a transcript of the trial. I urge you to pay close attention to the testimony as it is given.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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TAKING NOTES

If you wish, you may take notes to help you remember what witnesses said. If you do take notes, please keep them to yourself until you and your fellow jurors go to the jury room to decide the case. Do not let note-taking distract you so that you do not hear other answers by witnesses. When you leave, your notes should be left in the courtroom. Whether or not you take notes, you should rely on your own memory of what was said. Notes are only to assist your memory. You should not be overly influenced by the notes.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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QUESTIONS TO WITNESSES BY JURORS

While it is not customary for a juror to ask a question of a witness, if you wish to do so, put the question in writing and hand it to the clerk. The Court and counsel will review your questions. Do not be concerned if the question is not asked. Do not discuss your question with anyone, including the clerk. Remember that you are not to discuss the case with other jurors until it is submitted for your decision.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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OUTLINE OF TRIAL

The next phase of the trial will now begin. First, each side may make an opening statement. An opening statement is not evidence. It is simply an outline to help you understand what that party expects the evidence will show. A party is not required to make an opening statement. The plaintiff will then present evidence, and counsel for the defendant may crossexamine. Then the defendant may present evidence, and counsel for the plaintiff may crossexamine. After the evidence has been presented, I will instruct you on the law that applies to the case and the attorneys will make closing arguments. After that, you will go to the jury room to deliberate on your verdict.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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BURDEN OF PROOF - PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE

When a party has the burden of proof on any claim or affirmative defense by a preponderance of the evidence, it means you must be persuaded by the evidence that the claim or affirmative defense is more probably true than not true. You should base your decision on all of the evidence, regardless of which party presented it.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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BENCH CONFERENCES AND RECESSES

From time to time during the trial, it may become necessary for me to talk with the attorneys out of the hearing of the jury, either by having a conference at the bench when the jury is present in the courtroom, or by calling a recess. Please understand that while you are waiting, we are working. The purpose of these conferences is not to keep relevant information from you, but to decide how certain evidence is to be treated under the rules of evidence and to avoid confusion and error. We will, of course, do what we can to keep the number and length of these conferences to a minimum. I may not always grant an attorney's request for a conference. Do not consider my granting or denying a request for a conference as any indication of my opinion of the case or of what your verdict should be.

United States District Court

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For the Northern District of California

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IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 2, 2008

JEFFREY S. WHITE UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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