Opinion ID: 49962
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: standard of review

Text: “Alleged errors in a jury instruction are reviewed by this court to determine whether the [district] court’s charge, considered as a whole, sufficiently instructs the jury so that the jurors understand the issues involved and are not misled.” 18 United States v. Shores, 966 F.2d 1383, 1386 (11th Cir. 1992) (internal quotations omitted). We “will not reverse a conviction unless we find that issues of law were presented inaccurately or the charge improperly guided the jury in such a substantial way as to violate due process.” United States v. Perez-Tosta, 36 F.3d 1552, 1564 (11th Cir. 1994). A jury instruction that improperly shifts the burden of proof to the defendant on an essential element of the offense is subject to harmless error review. Franklin v. Francis, 720 F.2d 1206, 1212 (11th Cir. 1983). An error is harmless only if the government demonstrates beyond a reasonable doubt that it did not contribute to the result. United States v. Paz, 405 F.3d 946, 948 (11th Cir. 2005).