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Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff
(1) If the testimony of an informant is admitted in a criminal proceeding, the prosecuting attorney or defendant may request a jury instruction on exercising caution in evaluating the credibility of an informant. Except when otherwise determined by the court, the instruction should be substantially similar to the following form:
“The testimony of an informant, given on behalf of the [State] [City] [County] in exchange for a legal advantage or other benefit, should be subjected to careful examination in the light of other evidence in the case, and should be acted upon with great caution. You, the jury, must weigh the credibility of his or her testimony. You should not find the defendant guilty upon such testimony alone unless, after carefully considering the testimony, you are satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of its truth.”
(2) For the purposes of this section, “informant” has the same meaning as in RCW 10.56.040.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Washington Revised Code Title 10. Criminal Procedure § 10.56.050. Jury instruction for informant testimony - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/wa/title-10-criminal-procedure/wa-rev-code-10-56-050/
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.
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