The procedures of a jury trial . . . are those understood and applied at common law. Today, while it is openly acknowledged that the grand jury is a rubber stamp in the hands of the prosecutor, no judge will admit that the petit jury is reduced to a rubber stamp via jury instructions. Law professors have been considerably more forthright. Studies on the effect of reasonable doubt instructions have failed to yield clear results. Jury comprehension of instructions is estimated by researchers as low . . .
Most attempts fall short of improving juror understanding.
Obviously, the lower the comprehension of jurors, the easier it is for the judge to manipulate them into a guilty verdict. Young at 764. Nelson Maldonado was not so fortunate. Maldonado associated with some members of a drug conspiracy. All the other members of the conspiracy had nicknames they used in communicating their narcotics business.