Opinion ID: 2779368
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Duty to Acquit

Text: During the initial closing, the prosecutor told the jurors, I ask you and I advise you it's your duty as jurors, if you have reasonable doubt, you must acquit [Vázquez], you must acquit him. That's your job. Vázquez argues that advising the jury of its duty somehow inflamed its passions and interfered with its impartiality. We disagree. There is nothing wrong with the government asking the jury to acquit if it finds the government failed to meet its burden, and the court in fact instructed the jury to do the same.9 Cf. United States v. Ayala-García, 574 F.3d 5, 17-18 (1st Cir. 2009) (it was inappropriate for the prosecutor, after several inflammatory remarks, to tell the jury, I charge you to do your job, find the Defendants guilty.).