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When Reasonable Doubt Changed – Colorado Criminal Law Update
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer
Introduction – The Burden of Proof In Colorado Criminal Cases
In December of 2022, in a move that shocked many in the Colorado criminal justice system, the Colorado Supreme Court Model Criminal Jury Instructions Committee (the Committee), notwithstanding decades of approval of the previous definition, changed one of the most critical jury instructions read to Colorado juries in criminal case – the definition of beyond a reasonable doubt.