High Court Rejects Relaxation Of Standard for Guilty Verdict; No Compromise Allowed in `Beyond Reasonable Doubt' Instruction From: The Washington Post | Date: June 2, 1993| Author: Joan Biskupic | Copyright 1993 The Washington Post. This material is published under license from the Washington Post.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post.Copyright information

The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that when a jury finds a defendant guilty by using a standard less than "beyond a reasonable doubt," the verdict must be thrown out.

The court has long held that an individual can be convicted only if a jury believes beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed the crime. But until yesterday the justices had not addressed what happens when a judge's instruction to the jury subtly compromises the "reasonable doubt" standard and allows a lower burden of ...