Most criminal cases within an adversarial [[system]] require that the prosecution proves its contentions beyond a reasonable doubt — a doctrine also called the "[[Burden of Proo]]f". This means that the State must present propositions which preclude "reasonable doubt" in the [[mind]] of a reasonable [[person]] as to the [[guilt]] of defendant. Some doubt may persist, but only to the extent that it would not affect a "reasonable person's" belief in the defendant's guilt. If the doubt raised does affect a "reasonable person's" belief, the jury is not satisfied beyond a "reasonable doubt". The jurisprudence of the applicable jurisdiction usually defines the precise [[meaning]] of [[words]] such as "reasonable" and "doubt" for such [[purpose]]s. | Most criminal cases within an adversarial [[system]] require that the prosecution proves its contentions beyond a reasonable doubt — a doctrine also called the "[[Burden of Proo]]f". This means that the State must present propositions which preclude "reasonable doubt" in the [[mind]] of a reasonable [[person]] as to the [[guilt]] of defendant. Some doubt may persist, but only to the extent that it would not affect a "reasonable person's" belief in the defendant's guilt. If the doubt raised does affect a "reasonable person's" belief, the jury is not satisfied beyond a "reasonable doubt". The jurisprudence of the applicable jurisdiction usually defines the precise [[meaning]] of [[words]] such as "reasonable" and "doubt" for such [[purpose]]s. |