Opinion ID: 48706
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: jury instruction on significance of the indictment

Text: 155 Fields argues that the district court erred in instructing the jury venire about the significance of the grand jury's decision to indict him. The court instructed the jury venire that the grand jury's finding of probable cause meant the grand jury believed more likely than not that Fields had committed the offense. Fields points out that the probable cause standard is lower than the preponderance standard. See, e.g., United States v. Watson, 273 F.3d 599, 602 (5th Cir.2001). The Government argues, inter alia, that any error did not prejudice Fields. 156 Because Fields did not object to the instruction below, his claim is reviewed for plain error. See United States v. Saldana, 427 F.3d 298, 304 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 126 S.Ct. 810, 163 L.Ed.2d 637 (2005), and cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 126 S.Ct. 1097, 163 L.Ed.2d 911 (2006). He bears the burden of showing that the error affected his substantial rights. See, e.g., Garza, 429 F.3d at 169. Fields cannot carry this burden. The jury venire was repeatedly instructed that the grand jury's indictment could not be considered as evidence. Additionally, the court instructed that Fields maintained the presumption of innocence. It advised that the Government bore the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and gave a correct definition of that standard of proof. The petit jury never was instructed to apply the preponderance standard. 157 In sum, although the court incorrectly advised the jury venire about the grand jury's finding, it correctly instructed the petit jury about its own task and correctly required that it perform that task independently from the indictment. Jurors are presumed to follow their instructions, and there is no reason to assume that they did not do so in this instance. Woods v. Johnson, 75 F.3d 1017, 1036 n. 29 (5th Cir.1996) (internal citation omitted). Thus, Fields cannot show that the error affected his substantial rights.