O59.1 Killing a Witness
Official jury instruction text reproduced for information. It is not legal advice; the instruction given in a case depends on the facts and the court.
- Instruction
- O59.1
- Statute
- 18 U.S.C. § 1512(a)(1)(A)
- Edition
- Eleventh Circuit Pattern Jury Instructions (Criminal Cases), revised July 2026
- Official source
- Official PDF, page 421
Elements
Quoted word for word from the official text. Eleventh Circuit Pattern Jury Instructions (Criminal Cases), revised July 2026.
The Defendant can be found guilty of this crime only if all the following facts are proved beyond a reasonable doubt:
(1) the person described in the indictment was [a witness] [scheduled to be a witness] in this Court;
(2) the Defendant [killed] [tried to kill] the witness; and
(3) the Defendant acted knowingly with the intent to prevent the witness from attending or testifying at a proceeding in this Court.
Related practice page
Federal Obstruction of Justice & Witness Tampering in Miami
Official source: Official PDF, page 421
Official jury instruction text reproduced for information. It is not legal advice; the instruction given in a case depends on the facts and the court.