Legal Question in Criminal Law in Florida

Re: jury instructions and deliberation

Jury instructions come from a book of standard instructions which are read verbatim to the jury by the judge. In Florida, jurors receive a copy of whatever the judge read to them.

Re: jury instructions and deliberation

Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.400 allows the judge to permit the jurors to take a copy of the jury instructions back with them during deliberations. However, this is discretionary, and the judge is not required to send a copy back. See Matire v. State, 232 So.2d 209 (Fla. 4th DCA 1970).

However, if you are specifically asking if an audio recording of the instructions may be sent back, I would say no, the rule does not contemplate an audio copy being sent back.