Beyond Reasonable Doubt

Beyond reasonable doubt is the legal concept which states that before a driver or an individual can be found guilty of a DUI or committing any other crime the prosecution must prove that the defendant is guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt". Reasonable doubt means that if the evidence which is presented before a judge or jury allows the court to draw more than one conclusion about who is responsible for a crime or doubt about the defendant's guilt, then proof of guilty beyond a reasonable doubt has not been achieved, and the jury must find the driver not guilty of the crimes charged.

Reasonable doubt has been defined under California law and allows that "the entire comparison and consideration of all the evidence, leaves the minds of the jurors in that condition that they cannot say they feel an abiding conviction of the truth of the charge. Reasonable doubt the highest legal standard in the United States.

This burden of proof can be reached if the prosecutor can provide evidence which leads the jury or judge to accept that all allegations are true. If a DUI defendant is given a trial, they have the legal right to cross examine the prosecution and challenge the evidence which is provided at the trial. Only after guilt is proven can punishment be meted out.