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Reference from Coast to Coast - Revisiting Jury Instructions (Part 1) - Alabama through Mississippi

By Jan Bissett and Margi Heinen, Published on June 17, 2002
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Jan Bissett is a Reference Librarian in the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan office of Dickinson Wright PLLC. She is a past president of the Michigan Association of Law Libraries and has published articles on administrative and research related topics in the Michigan Association of Law Libraries Newsletter and Michigan Defense Quarterly. She and Margi Heinen team teach Legal Information Sources and Services for Wayne State University's Library and Information Science Program in Detroit, Michigan. 

Margi Heinen is the Librarian at Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss in Detroit, Michigan. She teaches Legal Resources at the University of Michigan's School of Information and is team teaching with her co-columnist, Jan Bissett, at Wayne State University's School of Library and Information Science. She regularly does Internet training of legal staff at her firm and recently collaborated with Kathleen Gamache on an I.P.E. presentation, Internet Strategies for the Paralegal in Michigan. She is active in the Law Librarians of Metro Detroit and is a member of the American Association of Law Libraries.


 

Our standard just became model.  Jury instructions or "instructions to juries", that is. So says Michigan Court Rule 2.516. This recent change in the Michigan Court Rules prompted us to revisit one of our previous columns, What is the Law? Finding Jury Instructions, to check on and update other state jury model/standard instructions, especially the availability of electronic access.

This change also illustrates the need to understand what is meant by the various adjectives preceding "jury instructions."  Jury instructions are frequently described as model, standard, or pattern. Black's Law Dictionary, Seventh Edition  (Bryan A. Garner, ed., West Group, 1999) indicates no difference between model and pattern--both meaning an instruction approved by a state court or bar organization and recognized by courts as authoritative. Standard jury instructions are "regularly used" but have no authority other than frequent use. We have seen some publications covering "non-pattern" or "non-standard" instructions. Those jury charges are useful when an attorney is faced with an issue for which there is no model and no standardized usage.

We have reviewed the jury instructions available in the states Alabama through Mississippi for this column. (Don't feel left out, Wyoming--the rest of the states will follow next month!) Since we all fantasize about free online materials, we have broken out a list of state jury instructions found in that form.  Under each state we also list print materials (where possible we include a web link to the publisher's description of the product) and database options that involve a subscription or fee. If a publisher produces the same title in several formats (print, disk, CD), we have linked only to the print version. You may want to explore that publisher's listings if you want other media.   As with all of our columns--this information is as current and accurate as we can locate--availability of jury instructions on the web or in databases can change quickly, so in future months more online access may appear. OCLC's FirstSearch, Legal Looseleafs in Print, 2002 Edition, LexisNexis™ Source Directory, LoisLaw's Product Information, Westlaw® Database Directory  as well as Google™ were used to identify and update materials.

Jury Instructions: Alabama through Mississippi

Full Text Jury Instructions free online: Alabama through Mississippi - Civil or Criminal

Alaska, Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawai'i, Idaho and Minnesota

Alabama

Alabama Pattern Jury Instructions - Civil 2d. [West Group ]

Pattern Jury Instructions - Criminal, Third Edition. [Alabama Bar Institute for Continuing Legal Education, [and] Administrative Office of Courts].

Alaska

Alaska Civil Pattern Jury Instructions. [Alaska Bar Association]

Alaska Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions. [Alaska Bar Association]

Arizona

RAJI: Revised Arizona Jury Instructions (Civil). [State Bar of Arizona]

RAJI: Revised Arizona Jury Instructions (Criminal). [State Bar of Arizona]

RAJI-Criminal (Revisions only)

Arkansas

Arkansas Model Jury Instructions - Civil 4th. [West Group]

Arkansas Model Jury Instructions - Criminal. [Lexis Law Publishing (Michie)]

Loislaw Arkansas Law Library

California

California Jury Instructions, Civil: Book Of Approved Jury Instructions (BAJI) 9th. [West Group]

California Jury Instructions, Criminal: (CALJIC) 6th. [West Group]

Criminal Defense Jury Instructions [Knowles Publishing]

LexisNexis™ CALBAJI

Netlawlibraries (Available in "Guest Services" - left-hand column).

Westlaw®: California Jury Instructions, CA-JI ; California Jury Instructions - Civil, CA-BAJI; California Jury Instructions - Criminal, CA-CALJIC

Colorado

Colorado Jury Instructions-Civil. 4th Edition [West Group]

Colorado Jury Instructions-Criminal. [West Group]

Colorado Jury Instructions for Civil Trials [Continuing Legal Education in Colorado]

Loislaw: Colorado Law Library

Westlaw®: Colorado Jury Instructions - Civil, CO-JICIV

Connecticut

Criminal Jury Instructions 3rd Edition [5-5A Connecticut Practice Series]. [West Group]

Westlaw®: Connecticut Criminal Jury Instructions, CT-JICRIM

Delaware

Pattern jury instructions for civil practice in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware. Delaware: Review Committee.District

Welcome to Reference From Coast to Coast: Sources and Strategies, a monthly column written by Jan Bissett and Margi Heinen.

Jan Bissett is a Reference Librarian in the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan office of Dickinson Wright PLLC. She is a past president of the Michigan Association of Law Libraries and has published articles on administrative and research related topics in the Michigan Association of Law Libraries Newsletter and Michigan Defense Quarterly. She and Margi Heinen team teach Legal Information Sources and Services for Wayne State University's Library and Information Science Program in Detroit, Michigan.   

Margi Heinen is the Librarian at Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss in Detroit, Michigan. She teaches Legal Resources at the University of Michigan's School of Information and is team teaching with her co-columnist, Jan Bissett, at Wayne State University's School of Library and Information Science. She regularly does Internet training of legal staff at her firm and recently collaborated with Kathleen Gamache on an I.P.E. presentation, Internet Strategies for the Paralegal in Michigan. She is active in the Law Librarians of Metro Detroit and is a member of the American Association of Law Libraries.

Revisiting Jury Instructions (Part 1): Alabama through Mississippi

Published June 17, 2002

Click here for Missouri - Wyoming

Our standard just became model. Jury instructions or "instructions to juries", that is. So says Michigan Court Rule 2.516. This recent change in the Michigan Court Rules prompted us to revisit one of our previous columns, What is the Law? Finding Jury Instructions, to check on and update other state jury model/standard instructions, especially the availability of electronic access.

This change also illustrates the need to understand what is meant by the various adjectives preceding "jury instructions." Jury instructions are frequently described as model, standard, or pattern. Black's Law Dictionary, Seventh Edition  (Bryan A. Garner, ed., West Group, 1999) indicates no difference between model and pattern--both meaning an instruction approved by a state court or bar organization and recognized by courts as authoritative. Standard jury instructions are "regularly used" but have no authority other than frequent use. We have seen some publications covering "non-pattern" or "non-standard" instructions. Those jury charges are useful when an attorney is faced with an issue for which there is no model and no standardized usage.

We have reviewed the jury instructions available in the states Alabama through Mississippi for this column. (Don't feel left out, Wyoming--the rest of the states will follow next month!) Since we all fantasize about free online materials, we have broken out a list of state jury instructions found in that form.  Under each state we also list print materials (where possible we include a web link to the publisher's description of the product) and database options that involve a subscription or fee. If a publisher produces the same title in several formats (print, disk, CD), we have linked only to the print version. You may want to explore that publisher's listings if you want other media.   As with all of our columns--this information is as current and accurate as we can locate--availability of jury instructions on the web or in databases can change quickly, so in future months more online access may appear. OCLC's FirstSearch, Legal Looseleafs in Print, 2002 Edition, LexisNexis™ Source Directory, LoisLaw's Product Information, Westlaw® Database Directory  as well as Google™ were used to identify and update materials.

Jury Instructions: Alabama through Mississippi

Full Text Jury Instructions free online: Alabama through Mississippi - Civil or Criminal

Alaska, Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawai'i, Idaho and Minnesota

Alabama

Alabama Pattern Jury Instructions - Civil 2d. [West Group ]

Pattern Jury Instructions - Criminal, Third Edition. [Alabama Bar Institute for Continuing Legal Education, [and] Administrative Office of Courts].

Alaska

Alaska Civil Pattern Jury Instructions. [Alaska Bar Association]

Alaska Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions. [Alaska Bar Association]

Arizona

RAJI: Revised Arizona Jury Instructions (Civil). [State Bar of Arizona]

RAJI: Revised Arizona Jury Instructions (Criminal). [State Bar of Arizona]

RAJI-Criminal (Revisions only)

Arkansas

Arkansas Model Jury Instructions - Civil 4th. [West Group]

Arkansas Model Jury Instructions - Criminal. [Lexis Law Publishing (Michie)]

Loislaw Arkansas Law Library

California

California Jury Instructions, Civil: Book Of Approved Jury Instructions (BAJI) 9th. [West Group]

California Jury Instructions, Criminal: (CALJIC) 6th. [West Group]

Criminal Defense Jury Instructions [Knowles Publishing]

LexisNexis™ CALBAJI

Netlawlibraries (Available in "Guest Services" - left-hand column).

Westlaw®: California Jury Instructions, CA-JI ; California Jury Instructions - Civil, CA-BAJI; California Jury Instructions - Criminal, CA-CALJIC

Colorado

Colorado Jury Instructions-Civil. 4th Edition [West Group]

Colorado Jury Instructions-Criminal. [West Group]

Colorado Jury Instructions for Civil Trials [Continuing Legal Education in Colorado]

Loislaw: Colorado Law Library

Westlaw®: Colorado Jury Instructions - Civil, CO-JICIV

Connecticut

Criminal Jury Instructions 3rd Edition [5-5A Connecticut Practice Series]. [West Group]

Westlaw®: Connecticut Criminal Jury Instructions, CT-JICRIM

Delaware

Pattern jury instructions for civil practice in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware. Delaware: Review Committee.District of Columbia (Thanks to Pat Petit, Catholic University of America, for his assistance!)

Standardized Civil Jury Instructions For The District Of Columbia. [Bar Association of the District of Columbia, Young Lawyers Section. Rev. ed. 1998]
Criminal Jury Instructions. [Bar Association of the District of Columbia. Young Lawyers Section 1993, 1996 Suppl.]

Florida

Florida Forms of Jury Instruction. [Lexis Law Publishing (Matthew Bender)]

Florida Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases. [Florida Bar published by Lexis Law Publishers]

Florida Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases. 4th Edition [Florida Bar published by Lexis Law Publishers]

Statewide Jury Instructions, Ninth Judicial Circuit Court.

LexisNexis™ FLA/FLJINS

Westlaw®: Florida Standard Jury Instructions - Civil, FL-JICIV; Florida Standard Jury Instructions - Criminal, FL-JICRIM (Westlaw Directory)

Georgia

Civil Jury Instructions: Georgia Trial Court Desktop. [CX Corporation "Official Product of the Georgia Council of Superior Court Judges"]

Criminal Jury Instructions: Georgia Trial Court Desktop. [CX Corporation "Official Product of the Georgia Council of Superior Court Judges"]

Suggested Pattern Jury Instructions (v. 1. Civil cases, 3d ; v. 2 Criminal Cases, 2d) [Athens, Ga.: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia]

Hawaii

Hawai'i Civil Jury Instructions. [Supreme Court of the State of Hawai'i]

Hawai'i Standard Jury Instructions. Criminal. [Supreme Court of the State of Hawai'i]

Idaho

Idaho Civil Jury Instructions. [Idaho Law Foundation]

Idaho Criminal Jury Instructions. [Idaho Law Foundation]

Illinois

Illinois Forms of Jury Instructions. [Lexis Law Publishers (Matthew Bender)]

Illinois Non-Pattern Jury Instructions. 3rd Edition. [West Group]

Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions-Civil. [West Group]

Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions-Criminal. 4th Edition. [West Group]

LexisNexis™ ILL/IFJURY

Loislaw: Illinois Law Library

Westlaw®: Illinois Pattern Civil Jury Instructions - Civil, IL-IPICIV

Indiana

Indiana Pattern Jury Instructions, Civil. 2nd Edition, Revised. [Lexis Law Publishing (Michie)]

Indiana Pattern Jury Instructions, Criminal. 2nd Edition. [Lexis Law Publishing (Michie)]

LexisNexis™ IND/INCVJI

Iowa

Iowa Civil Jury Instructions. [Iowa State Bar Association]

Iowa Criminal Jury Instructions. [Iowa State Bar Association ]


Kansas

Pattern Instructions, Kansas 3d-Civil. Authored by Judicial Council PIK-Civil Advisory Committee and published by West Group

Pattern Instructions For Kansas, Criminal 3d . Authored by Judicial Council PIK-Criminal Advisory Committee and published by them

Kentucky

Kentucky Instructions To Juries. [Anderson Pub. Co.]

Louisiana

Louisiana Civil Jury Instructions. (Louisiana civil law treatise series) [West Group]

Maine

Maine Jury Instruction Manual, 4th Edition. [Lexis Law Publishing (Michie)]

LexisNexis™ MAINE/MEJIM

Maryland

Maryland Civil Jury Instructions and Commentary. [Lexis Law Publishing (Michie, 1993)] [Maryland Institute for Continuing Legal Education for Lawyers, 2001]

Maryland Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions. [Maryland Institute for Continuing Legal Education for Lawyers, 2001]

Westlaw®: Maryland Jury Instructions - Civil, MD-JICIV; Maryland Jury Instructions - Criminal, MD-JICRIM

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Jury Instructions - Civil. [Lexis Law Publishing (Michie)]

Massachusetts Jury Instructions, 2nd Edition - Criminal. [Lexis Law Publishing (Michie)]

Massachusetts Superior Court Civil Practice Jury Instructions. [Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education]

Massachusetts Superior Court Criminal Practice Jury Instructions. [Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education]

Model Jury Instructions for Use in the District Court, 1995 Revised Edition. [Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education]

LexisNexis™ MASS/MACVJI

Loislaw MCLE Online (Massachusetts Superior Court Civil Practice Jury Instructions)

Michigan

Michigan Criminal Jury Instructions. [Institute for Continuing Legal Education]

Michigan Nonstandard Jury Instructions. (v.1 Civil-- v.2 Criminal). [West Group]

Model Civil Jury Instructions. [Institute for Continuing Legal Education, to be published June 2002; print, password protected web access]

Minnesota

Minnesota Criminal Jury Instructions.

Minnesota Jury Instruction Guides: Civil (CIVJIG), (4, 4A Minnesota Practice). [West Group]

Mississippi

Mississippi Model Jury Instructions: Civil [And] Criminal. [West Group]

Links Mentioned in this Article

Alabama

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=13997608&
    catalog_name=wgstore

Alaska Civil Pattern Jury Instructions

  • Link: http://www.state.ak.us/courts/juryins.htm

Alaska Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions

  • Link: http://www.state.ak.us/courts/crimins.htm

Arkansas Model Jury Instructions - Civil 4th

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=22065781&
    catalog_name=wgstore%20

Arkansas Model Jury Instructions - Criminal

  • Link: http://bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/catalog

California Jury Instructions, Civil: Book Of Approved Jury Instructions (BAJI)

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=11229214&
    catalog_name=wgstore

California Jury Instructions, Criminal: (CALJIC) 6th.

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=11661582&
    catalog_name=wgstore%20

Colorado Jury Instructions-Civil. 4th Edition

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=13504565&
    catalog_name=wgstore

Colorado Jury Instructions-Criminal

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=
    14429702&
    catalog_name=wgstore%20

Connecticut Criminal Jury Instructions

  • Link: http://directory.westlaw.com/directory/DIR139857.asp?rs=
    WDIR1.0&vr=1.0 \

Connecticut Criminal Jury Instructions 3rd Edition [5-5A Connecticut Practice Series]

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=11615238&
    catalog_name=wgstore

Criminal Defense Jury Instructions

  • Link: http://www.knowlespublishing.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv

Florida Forms of Jury Instruction

  • Link: http://bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/catalog?action=product&prod_id=
    10408&cat_id=SR&returnURL=http%3A//bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/search?
    action=keywordSearch&keyword=jury%2Binstructions%20

Florida Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases

  • Link: http://bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/catalog?action=product&prod_id=
    13275&cat_id=SR&returnURL=http%3A//bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/search
    ?action=keywordSearch&
    keyword=jury%2Binstructions%20

Florida Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases. 4th Edition

  • Link: http://bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/catalog?action=product&prod_id=
    41108&cat_id=SR&returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Fbookstore.lexis.com%2F
    bookstore%2Fsearch%3Faction%3
    DkeywordSearch%26keyword%3Djury%2Binstructions%20

FLA/FLJINS

  • Link: http://web.nexis.com/sources/scripts/info.pl?249205

Google™

  • Link: http://www.google.com/

Idaho Civil Jury Instructions

  • Link: http://www.accuscan.org/products_services/IDJIS.htm

Illinois Forms of Jury Instructions

  • Link: http://bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/catalog?action=product&
    prod_id=10335&cat_id=SR&returnURL=http%3A%2F%2F
    bookstore.lexis.com%2Fbookstore%2Fsearch%3Faction%3D
    keywordSearch%26keyword%3Djury%2Binstructions%20

Illinois Non-Pattern Jury Instructions. 3rd Edition

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=
    13981843&catalog_name=wgstore

Illinois Pattern Civil Jury Instructions - Civil

  • Link: http://directory.westlaw.com/directory/DIR2157.asp?rs=WDIR1.0&vr=1.0

Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions-Civil

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=
    11680787&catalog_name=wgstore

Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions-Criminal. 4th Edition

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=
    22071943&catalog_name=wgstore

IND/INCVJI

  • Link: http://web.nexis.com/sources/scripts/info.pl?237864

Indiana Pattern Jury Instructions, Civil. 2nd Edition, Revised

  • Link: http://bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/catalog?action=product&prod_id=
    7224&cat_id=J&pcat_id=71&pub_id=2%20

Indiana Pattern Jury Instructions, Criminal

  • Link: http://bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/catalog?action=product&prod_id=
    7119&cat_id=J&pcat_id=71&pub_id=2

Institute for Continuing Legal Education

  • Link: http://www.icle.org/

Iowa Civil Jury Instructions

  • Link: http://www.iowabar.org/Sales.nsf/$about!OpenAbout

Kentucky Instructions To Juries

  • Link: http://www.andersonpublishing.com/pubcats/statepubs/8.shtml

Legal Looseleafs in Print, 2002 Edition

  • Link: http://www.infosourcespub.com/book5.cfm

LexisNexis™ CALBAJ

  • Link: http://web.nexis.com/sources/scripts/info.pl?233658

LexisNexis™ Source Directory

  • Link: http://web.nexis.com/sources/

Loislaw Arkansas Law Library

  • Link: http://www.loislaw.com/

LoisLaw's Product Information

  • Link: http://www.loislaw.com/info/content/products.htm

Louisiana Civil Jury Instructions.

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=22112364
    &catalog_name=wgstore

Maine Jury Instruction Manual, 4th Edition

  • Link: http://bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/catalog

Maryland Civil Jury Instructions and Commentary

  • Link: http://bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/catalog?action=product&
    prod_id=6875&cat_id=SR&returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Fbookstore.lexis.com
    %2Fbookstore%2Fsearch%3Faction%3DkeywordSearch%26keyword%
    3Dmaryland%2Bcivil%2Bjury

Massachusetts Superior Court Civil Practice Jury Instructions

  • Link: http://www.loislaw.com/info/bar/mabar.htm

Maryland Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions

  • Link: http://micpel.edu/indhdg/pub/publications/cri/PubCri.html

Maryland Institute for Continuing Legal Education for Lawyers

  • Link: http://micpel.edu/indhdg/pub/publications/lit/PubLit.html

Maryland Jury Instructions - Civi

  • Link: http://directory.westlaw.com/directory/DIR4392.asp?rs=WDIR1.0&vr=1.0

MASS/MACVJI

  • Link: http://web.nexis.com/sources/scripts/info.pl?236197

Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education

  • Link: http://www.mcle.org/

Massachusetts Jury Instructions - Civil

  • Link: http://bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/catalog?action=
    product&prod_id=
    7118&cat_id=SR&returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Fbookstore.lexis.com
    %2Fbookstore%
    2Fsearch%3Faction%3DkeywordSearch%26keyword%3Dmassachusetts%
    2Bjury%2Binstructions%2Bcivil

Massachusetts Jury Instructions, 2nd Edition - Criminal

  • Link: http://bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/catalog?action=
    product&prod_id=7687&cat_id=SR&returnURL=http%3A%
    2F%2Fbookstore.lexis.com%2Fbookstore
    %2Fsearch%3Faction%3DkeywordSearch%26keyword%3D
    massachusetts%2B
    jury%2Binstructions%2Bcriminal

Michigan Court Rule 2.516.

  • Link: http://www.icle.org/michlaw/rules/mcr/AMENDED/01-22_12-18-01_or2.html

Michigan Nonstandard Jury Instructions

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=13507726&
    catalog_name=wgstore

Minnesota Criminal Jury Instructions

  • Link: http://www.pubdef.state.mn.us/homepages/district_6/Jury%20
    Instructions/Default.htm

Minnesota Jury Instruction Guides: Civil

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=15674006&
    catalog_name=wgstore

Mississippi Model Jury Instructions: Civil [And] Criminal

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=22081545&
    catalog_name=wgstore

Netlawlibraries

  • Link: http://www.netlawlibraries.com/

OCLC's FirstSearch

  • Link: http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org/

Pattern Instructions For Kansas, Criminal 3d

  • Link: http://www.kscourts.org/council/order2.htm

Pattern Instructions, Kansas 3d-Civil.

  • Link: http://www.westgroup.com/store/product.asp?product_id=13506866&
    catalog_name=wgstore

Pattern jury instructions for civil practice in the Superior Court of the

  • Link: http://courts.state.de.us/superior/pattern_online.htm

RAJI-Criminal (Revisions only)

  • Link: http://www.azbar.org/CLE/Pubs/criminal_raji.cfm

Statewide Jury Instructions

  • Link: http://www.ninja9.com/JuryInst/juryinstructions-main.htm

Westlaw® Database Directory

  • Link: http://directory.westlaw.com/

Westlaw®: California Jury Instructions, CA-JI ; California Jury Instructions

  • Link: http://directory.westlaw.com/directory/DIR1322.asp?rs=WDIR1.0&vr=1.0

Westlaw®: Colorado Jury Instructions - Civil, CO-JICIV

  • Link: http://directory.westlaw.com/directory/DIR7459.asp?rs=WDIR1.0&vr=1.0