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Criminal

Jul. 2, 2005

Whispered Words of Wisdom on That Old Bogey, Reasonable Doubt

Forum Column - By R. Konrad Moore - In 2003, a Bakersfield jury convicted Glen Johnson of murder. A year later, a California court of appeal reversed the conviction, finding that Kern County Superior Court Judge Richard Oberholzer's discourse on the meaning of reasonable doubt had the effect of lowering the prosecution's burden of proof. People v. Johnson (Glen) , 119 Cal.App.4th 976 (2004).

Konrad Moore

Public Defender Kern County Public Defender's Office

In 2003, a Bakersfield jury convicted Glen Johnson of murder. A year later, a California court of appeal reversed the conviction, finding that Kern County Superior Court Judge Richard Oberholzer's discourse on the meaning of reasonable doubt had the effect of lowering the prosecution's burden of proof. People v. Johnson (Glen), 119 Cal.App.4th 976 (2004).

Questioning the jury, Oberholzer challenged prospective jurors to identify any decision they made in life that didn't inv...

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