 Assignments Archive
January 9, 2006
 Briefing on the nature and purpose of the course (what you are expected to do and what you might learn along the way)
Some preliminary observations about criminal law (in West Virginia) and the problems raised for establishing model jury instructions
Revising California's Jury Instructions for Criminal Cases
 San Francisco Chronicle news account
Judicial Council of California News Release
The Language of Jury Instructions
Professor Peter Tiersma, Loyola-LA, School of Law
Union-Tribune news account
Revising Jury Instructions (California)
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Continue Discussion about the Work You'll be Doing in the Course
Review of the List of Jury Instructions (Presented on the Syllabus) from Which You Can Select Jury Instructions to Work On
Print out, read, and review the following "proposed" jury instructions applicable in homicide cases in West Virginia:
[Unlawful Killing][In this maze of jury instructions under the heading "unlawful killing," we will focus on the definition of 1st and 2nd degree murder, voluntary and involuntary manslaughter; you may want to simply "cut & paste" the definitions of murder and manslaughter rather than printout the entire file] [Malice ] [Premeditation & Deliberation ] [Specific Intent to Kill] [Motive] [Felony-Murder] [Provocation] [Self-Defense] [Sanity] [Diminished Capacity-Intoxication] [Crimes Against Children] [Conspiracy to Commit an Offense] [Accomplice] [Aiding & Abetting] [Accessory Before the Fact] [Reasonable Doubt and Presumption of Innocence]
Compare the West Virginia Jury Instruction (and "comment") with the comparable Oklahoma Jury Instruction.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Martin Luther King's Birthday. Holiday. No Class
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Deadline for formation of "Work Groups"
Continue Discussion of West Virginia Homicide Law and Present West Virginia Jury Instructions
Monday, January 23, 2006
Deadline for determination of the Jury Instructions you, or your group will work on.
Peter Tiersma, Communicating with Juries [xerox handed out in class ] [on-line text; earlier version]
[Postpone] Revising Jury Instructions [Onhold]
Excerpts from: Amiram Elwork, Bruce D. Sales & James J. Alfini, Making Jury Instructions Understandable (Charlottesville, Virginia: Michie Company, 1982) [xerox; to be handed out in class]
Plain-English Jury Instructions
American Judicature Society
The Call for Simplier Jury Instructions
Linguistics and the Law
Wednesday. January 23, 2009. No Class
I have today posted a draft/tentative version of the Research/Revision Protocol. We may want to modify or expend this in the days ahead.
Research/Jury Instruction Revision Protocol
Monday. January 30, 2006. Discussion of the Research/Revision Protocol
Monday. February 27, 2006
 Premeditation & Deliberation: Rebecca Pettit
Monday, March 6. 2006 -- Presentations
Malice: George Sidiropolis | Bill Flanigan | Harry P. Montor | Matthew Campbell |
Wednesday, March 8. 2006 -- Presentations
Intent to Kill: Brandy Garcia | Ryan Gum | Jarrell Clifton | Julie Jaquay
Monday, March 20. 2006
2nd Degree Murder: Jessica Haun | Nic James
Monday, March 27. 2006
Involuntary Manslaughter: Shannon Smith
Wednesday, March 29. 2006
Provocation: Stephanie Concodora
Voluntary Manslaughter: Kevin Cimino | Katy Ratai
Malignant/Depraved Heart Killings: Cimino | Ratai
Monday, April 3. 2006
Self-Defense: Jessica Haun | Nic James
Wednesday, April 5, 2006 [Double Session]
Self-Defense & Duty to Retreat: Garcia | Gum | Clifton | Jaquay
Self-Defense & Battered Woman Syndrome:
Sydow | Foreman | Adams
Monday, April 10, 2006
Diminished Capacity: Sidiropolis | Flanigan | Montor | Campbell
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Noon Meeting 12-1:00 P.M.: Discuss revision & publication of the revised jury instructions
Regular Class Meeting at 1 P. M. [Voluntary Intoxication]
Voluntary Intoxication || Sidiropolis | Flanigan | Montor | Campbell
Voluntary Intoxication: Ratai | Cimino
Monday, April 17, 2006
Insanity Defense: Nora Sydow | Corinna Foreman | Erin Adams
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