M Civ JI 97.11 Function of Judge and Jury

(1) My responsibility as the judge in this trial is to make sure that the trial is run fairly and efficiently, to make decisions about evidence, and to instruct you about the law that applies to this case. You must take the law as I give it to you. Nothing I say is meant to reflect my own opinions about the facts of the case. As jurors, you are the ones who will decide this case.

(2) Your responsibility as jurors is to decide what the facts of the case are. That is your job and no one else’s. You must think about all the evidence and then decide what each piece of evidence means and how important you think it is. This includes how much you believe what each of the witnesses said. What you decide about any fact in this case is final.

History

M Civ JI 97.11 was added March 2005.