[I appoint _______________ to act as Jury Leader.] [When you go to the jury room, you will select a Jury Leader.]

The Jury Leader will lead your deliberations, communicate with the bailiff(s) for you and speak for you in court. The Jury Leader does not have more authority than other jurors, and the Jury Leader’s opinion does not carry more weight that the opinions of other jurors.

In order to return a verdict, each Juror must agree to the verdict. Your verdict must be unanimous.

It is your duty to work with each other in an effort to reach an agreement, if you are able to do so without giving up your individual judgment. Each of you must decide the case for yourself, but you should consider the evidence impartially with the other Jurors. You should not hesitate to change your opinion if you are convinced it was wrong. But, you should not change your opinion about the weight or effect of the evidence just because of the opinion of the other Jurors, or in order to return a verdict.

If it becomes necessary for you to communicate with me during your deliberations, the Jury Leader should send a note to the bailiff(s). All questions to the Judge must be reviewed by the attorneys. This may take a period of time and some questions may not be answered.

After you have agreed on your verdict, the Jury Leader should fill in, date, and sign a formal verdict, using the appropriate form which accompanies these instructions. The Jury Leader should then notify the bailiff(s) that you have reached a verdict. You will be brought to the courtroom for reception of the verdict. You must not disclose your verdict to anyone until it is returned in open court.

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