California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Ford, A137496 (Cal. App. 2014):
"When a jury asks a question after retiring for deliberation, '[s]ection 1138 imposes upon the court a duty to provide the jury with information the jury desires on points of law.' [Citation.] But '[t]his does not mean the court must always elaborate on the standard instructions.'" (People v. Eid (2010) 187 Cal.App.4th 859, 881-882.) While the court "has an obligation to rectify any confusion expressed by the jury regarding instructions, [it] has discretion to determine what additional explanations are sufficient to satisfy the jury's request for information." (People v. Smithey (1999) 20 Cal.4th 936, 1009.)
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