Opinion ID: 2566966
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: ¶ 1 We granted certiorari to review the court of appeals's ruling that the reasonable doubt instruction used in the trial of German Cruz Reyes was improper because it did not specifically conform to the three-part reasonable doubt instruction upheld by this court in State v. Robertson, 932 P.2d 1219 (Utah 1997), overruled on other grounds by State v. Weeks, 2002 UT 98, ¶ 25 n. 11, 61 P.3d 1000. The State asks us to overrule Robertson. We also agreed to take up Mr. Reyes's cross-petition, which challenges the court of appeals's determination that the trial court's refusal to reread preliminary jury instructions at the close of evidence was harmless error. Because we share the court of appeals's misgivings about the wisdom of Robertson, we reverse the court of appeals's holding on the reasonable doubt instruction and announce a safe harbor reasonable doubt instruction. We also affirm, on other grounds, the court of appeals's decision on the timing of the jury instructions.