No. 23-266
Javaar Yavonnie Kalem Watkins v. United States
Response Waived
Tags: constitutional-error conviction-reversal criminal-procedure due-process jury-instruction jury-instructions reasonable-doubt structural-error
Key Terms:
DueProcess
DueProcess
Latest Conference:
2023-10-27
Question Presented (AI Summary)
Was the reasonable doubt instruction constitutionally deficient thereby requiring reversal of Watkins' conviction?
Question Presented (OCR Extract)
QUESTION PRESENTED The Constitution requires the Government to persuade a jury “beyond reasonable doubt” in order to sustain a conviction. Over Watkins’ objection, the reasonable doubt instruction charged the jury to subjectively consider “life’s most important decisions” when considering whether reasonable doubt existed. Was the reasonable doubt instruction constitutionally deficient thereby requiring reversal of Watkins’ conviction?
Docket Entries
2023-10-30
Petition DENIED.
2023-10-04
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/27/2023.
2023-09-27
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2023-09-15
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 20, 2023)
Attorneys
Javaar Watkins
United States
Elizabeth B. Prelogar — Solicitor General, Respondent
Elizabeth B. Prelogar — Solicitor General, Respondent