California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Rhoades, 255 Cal.Rptr.3d 453, 453 P.3d 89, 8 Cal.5th 393 (Cal. 2019):
Peoples burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.10 We have previously rejected substantially identical challenges to this instruction, and defendant supplies no argument for reconsideration. " CALJIC No. 2.01 (concerning the sufficiency of circumstantial evidence) did not compel the jury to find defendant guilty and the special circumstance true using a standard lower than proof beyond a reasonable doubt. ( [ People v. ] Jones [ (2013) ] 57 Cal.4th [899,] 972 [161 Cal.Rptr.3d 295, 306 P.3d 1136].) Nor did it create an impermissible mandatory presumption by requiring the jury to draw an incriminatory inference whenever such an inference appeared reasonable unless the defense rebutted it by producing a reasonable exculpatory interpretation." ( People v. Casares (2016) 62 Cal.4th 808, 831, 198 Cal.Rptr.3d 167, 364 P.3d 1093 ; accord, People v. Delgado (2017) 2 Cal.5th 544, 572573, 214 Cal.Rptr.3d 223, 389 P.3d 805.)
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