North Dakota Code 12.1-01-03 – Proof and presumptions
1. No person may be convicted of an offense unless each element of the offense is proved beyond a reasonable doubt. An accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The fact that the accused has been arrested, confined, or charged with the offense gives rise to no inference of guilt at the accused’s trial. “Element of an offense” means:
Terms Used In North Dakota Code 12.1-01-03
- Allegation: something that someone says happened.
- Court: means any of the following courts: the supreme court, a district court, and where relevant, a municipal court. See North Dakota Code 12.1-01-04
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute means the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- Force: means physical action. See North Dakota Code 12.1-01-04
- Offense: means conduct for which a term of imprisonment or a fine is authorized by statute after conviction. See North Dakota Code 12.1-01-04
- person: includes , where relevant, a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See North Dakota Code 12.1-01-04
- Rule: includes regulation. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
a. The forbidden conduct; b. The attendant circumstances specified in the definition and grading of the offense; c. The required culpability; d. Any required result; and
e. The nonexistence of a defense as to which there is evidence in the case sufficient to give rise to a reasonable doubt on the issue.
2. Subsection 1 does not require negating a defense:
a. By allegation in the charging document; or
b. By proof, unless the issue is in the case as a result of evidence sufficient to raise a reasonable doubt on the issue.
Unless it is otherwise provided or the context plainly requires otherwise, if a statute outside this title defining an offense, or a related statute, or a rule or regulation thereunder, contains a provision constituting an exception from criminal liability for conduct which would otherwise be included within the prohibition of the offense, that the defendant came within such exception is a defense.
3. Subsection 1 does not apply to any defense which is explicitly designated an “affirmative defense”. An affirmative defense must be proved by the defendant by a preponderance of evidence.
4. When a statute establishes a presumption, it has the following consequences:
a. If there is sufficient evidence of the facts which gave rise to the presumption, the presumed fact is deemed sufficiently proved to warrant submission of the issue to a jury unless the court is satisfied that the evidence as a whole clearly negates the presumed fact.
b. In submitting the issue of the existence of the presumed fact to a jury, the court shall charge that, although the evidence as a whole must establish the presumed fact beyond a reasonable doubt, the jury may arrive at that judgment on the basis of the presumption alone, since the law regards the facts giving rise to the presumption as strong evidence of the fact presumed.
5. When a statute declares that given facts constitute a prima facie case, proof of such facts warrants submission of a case to the jury with the usual instructions on burden of proof and without additional instructions attributing any special probative force to the facts proved.