Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_18-cr-00319/USCOURTS-cand-3_18-cr-00319-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Howard Dixon
Defendant
USA
Plaintiff

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

USA,

Plaintiff,

v.

HOWARD DIXON,

Defendant.

Case No. 18-cr-00319-CRB-1 

JURY INSTRUCTIONS

Case 3:18-cr-00319-CRB Document 96 Filed 12/05/18 Page 1 of 24
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Duties of Jury to Find Facts and Follow Law

Members of the jury, now that you have heard all the evidence, it is my duty to 

instruct you on the law that applies to this case. A copy of these instructions will be 

available in the jury room for you to consult.

It is your duty to weigh and to evaluate all the evidence received in the case and, in 

that process, to decide the facts. It is also your duty to apply the law as I give it to you to 

the facts as you find them, whether you agree with the law or not. You must decide the 

case solely on the evidence and the law. Do not allow personal likes or dislikes, sympathy, 

prejudice, fear, or public opinion to influence you. You should also not be influenced by 

any person’s race, color, religion, national ancestry, or gender, sexual orientation, 

profession, occupation, celebrity, economic circumstances, or position in life or in the 

community. You will recall that you took an oath promising to do so at the beginning of 

the case.

You must follow all these instructions and not single out some and ignore others; 

they are all important. Please do not read into these instructions or into anything I may 

have said or done any suggestion as to what verdict you should return—that is a matter 

entirely up to you.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Charge Against Defendant Not Evidence—Presumption of Innocence—Burden of 

Proof

The indictment is not evidence. The defendant has pleaded not guilty to the charges. 

The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until the government proves the 

defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In addition, the defendant does not have to 

testify or present any evidence. The defendant does not have to prove innocence; the 

government has the burden of proving every element of the charges beyond a reasonable 

doubt.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Defendant’s Decision Not to Testify

A defendant in a criminal case has a constitutional right not to testify. In arriving at 

your verdict, the law prohibits you from considering in any manner that the defendant did 

not testify.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Reasonable Doubt—Defined

Proof beyond a reasonable doubt is proof that leaves you firmly convinced the 

defendant is guilty. It is not required that the government prove guilt beyond all possible 

doubt.

A reasonable doubt is a doubt based upon reason and common sense and is not 

based purely on speculation. It may arise from a careful and impartial consideration of all 

the evidence, or from lack of evidence.

If after a careful and impartial consideration of all the evidence, you are not 

convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty, it is your duty to find the 

defendant not guilty. On the other hand, if after a careful and impartial consideration of all 

the evidence, you are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty, it 

is your duty to find the defendant guilty.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Direct and Circumstantial Evidence

Evidence may be direct or circumstantial. You are to consider both direct and 

circumstantial evidence. Either can be used to prove any fact. 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.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

What Is Evidence

The evidence you are to consider in deciding what the facts are consists of:

(1) the sworn testimony of any witness;

(2) the exhibits received in evidence; and

(3) any facts to which the parties have agreed.

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United States District Court

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What Is Not Evidence

In reaching your verdict you may consider only the testimony and exhibits received 

in evidence. The following things are not evidence and you may not consider them in 

deciding what the facts are:

1. Questions, statements, objections, and arguments by the lawyers are not 

evidence. The lawyers are not witnesses. Although you must consider a lawyer’s questions 

to understand the answers of a witness, the lawyer’s questions are not evidence. Similarly, 

what the lawyers have said in their opening statements, will say in their closing arguments, 

and at other times is intended to help you interpret the evidence, but it is not evidence. If 

the facts as you remember them differ from the way the lawyers state them, your memory 

of them controls.

2. Any testimony that I have excluded, stricken, or instructed you to disregard is not 

evidence.

3. Anything you may have seen or heard when the court was not in session is not 

evidence. You are to decide the case solely on the evidence received at the trial.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

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;

(2) the witness’s memory;

(3) the witness’s manner while testifying;

(4) the witness’s interest in the outcome of the case, if any;

(5) the witness’s bias or prejudice, if any;

(6) whether other evidence contradicted the witness’s testimony;

(7) the reasonableness of the witness’s testimony in light of all the evidence; and

(8) any other factors that bear on believability.

Sometimes a witness may say something that is not consistent with something else 

he or she said. Sometimes different witnesses will give different versions of what 

happened. People often forget things or make mistakes in what they remember. Also, two 

people may see the same event but remember it differently. You may consider these 

differences, but do not decide that testimony is untrue just because it differs from other 

testimony.

However, if you decide that a witness has deliberately testified untruthfully about 

something important, you may choose not to believe anything that witness said. On the 

other hand, if you think the witness testified untruthfully about some things but told the 

truth about others, you may accept the part you think is true and ignore the rest.

The weight of the evidence as to a fact does not necessarily depend on the number 

of witnesses who testify. What is important is how believable the witnesses were, and how 

much weight you think their testimony deserves.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Opinion Evidence, Expert Witness

You have heard testimony from Officer Tursi and Doctor Galloway who testified to 

opinions and the reasons for their opinions. This opinion testimony is allowed because of 

the education or experience of these witnesses.

Such opinion testimony should be judged like any other testimony. You may accept 

it or reject it, and give it as much weight as you think it deserves, considering the witness’s 

education and experience, the reasons given for the opinion, and all the other evidence in 

the case.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Impeachment Evidence—Witness

You have heard evidence that Samuel Vaughn, a witness, has been convicted of 

certain crimes. You may consider this evidence in deciding whether or not to believe this 

witness and how much weight to give to the testimony of this witness. 

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Activities Not Charged

You are here only to determine whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty of the 

charges in the indictment. The defendant is not on trial for any conduct or offense not 

charged in the indictment.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Other Crimes, Wrongs or Acts of Defendant

You have heard evidence that the defendant committed other crimes not charged 

here. You may consider this evidence only for its bearing, if any, on the question of the 

defendant’s intent, motive, opportunity, knowledge, and for no other purpose. While you 

may consider this evidence for these purposes, you may not consider this evidence as 

evidence of the defendant’s propensity to commit a crime.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Separate Consideration of Multiple Counts—Single Defendant

A separate crime is charged against the defendant in each count. You must decide 

each count separately. Your verdict on one count should not control your verdict on any 

other count.

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Knowingly—Defined

An act is done knowingly if the defendant is aware of the act and does not act 

through ignorance, mistake, or accident. The government is not required to prove that the 

defendant knew that his acts or omissions were unlawful. You may consider evidence of 

the defendant’s words, acts, or omissions, along with all the other evidence, in deciding 

whether the defendant acted knowingly.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Duty to Deliberate

When you begin your deliberations, elect one member of the jury as your 

foreperson who will preside over the deliberations and speak for you here in court.

You will then discuss the case with your fellow jurors to reach agreement if you can 

do so. Your verdict, whether guilty or not guilty, must be unanimous.

Each of you must decide the case for yourself, but you should do so only after you 

have considered all the evidence, discussed it fully with the other jurors, and listened to the 

views of your fellow jurors.

Do not be afraid to change your opinion if the discussion persuades you that you 

should. But do not come to a decision simply because other jurors think it is right.

It is important that you attempt to reach a unanimous verdict but, of course, only if 

each of you can do so after having made your own conscientious decision. Do not change 

an honest belief about the weight and effect of the evidence simply to reach a verdict.

Perform these duties fairly and impartially. Do not allow personal likes or dislikes, 

sympathy, prejudice, fear, or public opinion to influence you. You should also not be 

influenced by any person’s race, color, religion, national ancestry, or gender, sexual 

orientation, profession, occupation, celebrity, economic circumstances, or position in life 

or in the community.

It is your duty as jurors to consult with one another and to deliberate with one 

another with a view towards reaching an agreement if you can do so. During your 

deliberations, you should not hesitate to reexamine your own views and change your 

opinion if you become persuaded that it is wrong.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Controlled Substance—Possession With Intent to Distribute (21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1))

The defendant is charged in the indictment with Count One, possession of heroin 

with intent to distribute in violation of Section 841(a)(1) of Title 21 of the United States 

Code, Count Two, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in violation of Section 

841(a)(1) of Title 21 of the United States Code, and Count Three, possession of 

methamphetamine with intent to distribute in violation of Section 841(a)(1) of Title 21 of 

the United States Code. In order for the defendant to be found guilty of any of these 

counts, the government must prove each of the following elements beyond a reasonable 

doubt as to a count:

First, the defendant knowingly possessed the drug specified in Counts One, Two, 

and Three; and

Second, the defendant possessed it with the intent to distribute it to another person.

The government is not required to prove the amount or quantity of heroin, cocaine, 

or methamphetamine. It need only prove beyond a reasonable doubt that there was a 

measurable or detectable amount of heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine.

It does not matter whether the defendant knew that the substance was heroin, 

cocaine, or methamphetamine. It is sufficient that the defendant knew that it was some 

kind of federally controlled substance.

To “possess with intent to distribute” means to possess with intent to deliver or 

transfer possession of heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine to another person, with or 

without any financial interest in the transaction.

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

Possession—Defined

A person has possession of something if the person knows of its presence and has 

physical control of it, or knows of its presence and has the power and intention to control 

it.

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Northern District of California

Lesser Included Offense

The crimes of possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, or 

methamphetamine include the lesser crimes of simple possession of heroin, cocaine, or 

methamphetamine. If (1) any of you are not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the 

defendant is guilty of possession with intent to distribute heroin as charged in Count One, 

cocaine in Count Two, or methamphetamine in Count Three and (2) all of you are 

convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of the lesser crime of 

simple possession of heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine, you may find the defendant 

guilty of simple possession of heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine.

In order for the defendant to be found guilty of the lesser crimes of simple 

possession of heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine, the government must prove the 

following elements beyond a reasonable doubt:

That on or about March 9, 2018, the defendant knowingly possessed a substance 

containing a detectable amount of heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine.

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Northern District of California

Consideration of Evidence—Conduct of the Jury

Because you must base your verdict only on the evidence received in the case and 

on these instructions, I remind you that you must not be exposed to any other information 

about the case or to the issues it involves. Except for discussing the case with your fellow 

jurors during your deliberations:

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. This 

applies to communicating with your family members, your employer, the media or press, 

and the people involved in the trial. If you are asked or approached in any way about your 

jury service or anything about this case, you must respond that you have been ordered not 

to discuss the matter and to report the contact to the court.

Do not read, watch, or listen to any news or media accounts or commentary about 

the case or anything to do with it; do not do any research, such as consulting dictionaries, 

searching the Internet or using other reference materials; and do not make any 

investigation or in any other way try to learn about the case on your own.

The law requires these restrictions to ensure the parties have a fair trial based on the 

same evidence that each party has had an opportunity to address. A juror who violates 

these restrictions jeopardizes the fairness of these proceedings. If any juror is exposed to 

any outside information, please notify the court immediately.

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United States District Court

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Use of Notes

Some of you have taken notes during the trial. Whether or not you took 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 your notes or those of your fellow jurors

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Jury Consideration of Punishment

The punishment provided by law for this crime is for the court to decide. You may 

not consider punishment in deciding whether the government has proved its case against 

the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Verdict Form

A verdict form has been prepared for you. After you have reached unanimous 

agreement on a verdict, your foreperson should complete the verdict form according to 

your deliberations, sign and date it, and advise the bailiff that you are ready to return to the 

courtroom.

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