What is the legal test for giving jury instructions in a personal injury trial?
California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Johnson, 184 Cal.Rptr.3d 850, 234 Cal.App.4th 1432 (Cal. App. 2015):
The rules governing a trial court's obligation to give jury instructions without request by either party are well established. Even in the absence of a request, a trial court must instruct on general principles of law that are ... necessary to the jury's understanding of the case. [Citations.] That obligation comes into play when a statutory term does not have a plain, unambiguous meaning, has a particular and restricted meaning [citation], or has a technical meaning peculiar to the law or an area of law [citation]. [Citation.] A word or phrase having a technical, legal meaning requiring clarification by the court is one that has a definition that differs from its nonlegal meaning. [Citations.] ( People v. Hudson (2006) 38 Cal.4th 1002, 1012, 44 Cal.Rptr.3d 632, 136 P.3d 168 ( Hudson ).)
"The most advanced legal research software ever built."
The above passage should not be considered legal advice. Reliable answers to complex legal questions require comprehensive research memos. To learn more visit www.alexi.com.
