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Texas Pattern Jury Charges

A guide to using the Texas Pattern Jury Charges

Overview

Texas Pattern Jury Charges, published by the State Bar of Texas, is a compilation of definitions, jury instructions, and supplemental material, intended to assist practitioners with developing jury charges. Volumes are organized by broad practice area and are generally sold individually, since few practitioners have need for all of them. The pattern charges use questions to direct the practitioner to the proper provided fill-in-the-blank language. Local bar associations often encourage practitioners to use these pattern charges, so it’s important for students to familiarize themselves with these resources before graduating.

Online access to the Texas Pattern Jury Charges - Civil can be found on LexisAdvance.

Contents

Each set of jury charges is divided into topical chapters, the subsections of which contain pattern jury charges addressing specific questions or circumstances. Each civil volume contains the same first and last chapter: “Admonitory Instructions” and “Preservation of Charge Error,” respectively. Each criminal volume begins with a chapter on “Commentary on Criminal Jury Charges” and a chapter on “The General Charge.”

Volumes may also contain any of the following: preface, introduction, Quick Guide to Drafting a Jury Charge, appendix, statutes and rules cited, cases cited, and a subject index.

Most individual chapters begin with a section of statutory references and a section of general comments.

There are eight total sets of jury charges (four civil and four criminal).

Business, Consumer, Insurance, & Employment


  • 101 Contracts
  • 102 The Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and Chapter 541 of the Texas Insurance Code
  • 103 Good Faith and Fair Dealing
  • 104 Fiduciary Duty
  • 105 Fraud and Negligent Misrepresentation
  • 106 Interference with Existing and Prospective Contract
  • 107 Employment
  • 108 Piercing the Corporate Veil
  • 109 Civil Conspiracy
  • 110 Defamation and Business Disparagement
  • 115 Damages

Family and Probate


  • 201 Dissolution of Marriage
  • 202 Characterization of Property
  • 203 Valuation of Property
  • 204 Reimbursement
  • 205 Disregarding Corporate Form
  • 206 Fraud – Dissolution of Marriage
  • 207 Enforceability of Property Agreements
  • 215 Definitions and Instructions – Suits Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship
  • 216 Conservatorship and Support – Original Suits
  • 217 Modification of Conservatorship and Support
  • 218 Termination of Parent-Child Relationship
  • 230 Will Contests
  • 232 Breach of Duty by Personal Representative
  • 233 Removal of Personal Representative
  • 235 Express Trusts
  • 240 Guardianship of Adult
  • 245 Involuntary Commitment
  • 250 Attorney’s Fees

General Negligence & Intentional Personal Torts


  • 2 Basic Definitions in Negligence Actions
  • 3 Inferential Rebuttal Instructions
  • 4 Basic Negligence Questions
  • 5 Negligence Per Se
  • 6 Intentional Personal Torts
  • 10 Agency and Special Relationships
  • 12 Nuisance Actions
  • 14 Defenses
  • 15 Personal Injury Damages
  • 16 Wrongful Death Damages
  • 17 Survival Damages
  • 18 Property Damages

Malpractice, Premise & Products


  • 50 Medical Malpractice – Definitions, Instructions, and Preliminary Questions
  • 51 Medical Malpractice – Theories of Direct Liability
  • 52 Medical Malpractice – Theories of Vicarious Liability
  • 53 – Medical Malpractice – Defenses
  • 60 Nonmedical Professional Malpractice – Definitions and Instructions
  • 61 Nonmedical Professional Malpractice – Theories of Recovery
  • 65 Premises Liability – Definitions and Instructions
  • 66 Premises Liability – Theories of Recovery
  • 70 Products Liability – Definitions, Instructions, and Preliminary Questions
  • 71 Products Liability – Theories of Recovery
  • 72 Joint and Several Liability
  • 80 Personal Injury Damages
  • 81 Wrongful Death Damages
  • 82 Survival Damages
  • 83 Property Damages
  • 84 Economic Damages
  • 85 Exemplary Damages

Criminal – Defenses


  • 3 Defenses Generally
  • 4 Lack of Voluntary Act
  • 5 Mistake of Fact
  • 6 Voluntary Intoxication
  • 7 Insanity
  • 8 “Diminished Capacity,” or Mental Condition Evidence Disproving Culpable Mental State
  • 9 Involuntary Intoxication
  • 10 Entrapment
  • 11 Necessity
  • 12 Mistake of Law
  • 13 Duress
  • 14 Self-Defense – Nondeadly Force
  • 15 Self-Defense Involving Deadly Force
  • 16 Self-Defense Against Action by Peace Officer
  • 17 Defense of Others
  • 18 Deadly Force to Prevent Felony
  • 19 Defense of Property

Criminal – Intoxication and Controlled Substances


  • 3 Special Instructions
  • 4 Intoxication Offenses
    • Part I General Matters
    • Part II Misdemeanor Driving While Intoxicated
    • Part III Other Related Offenses
    • Part IV Felony Enhanced Offenses
    • Part V Death or Injury Intoxication Offenses
  • 5 Controlled Substance Offenses
    • Part I General Matters
    • Part II Possessory Offenses
    • Part III Delivery Offenses
  • 6 Punishment Instructions
    • Part I General Matters
    • Part II General Punishment Instruction
    • Part III Community Supervision Instructions
    • Part IV Specific Felony Punishment Instructions
    • Part V Specific State Jail Felony Punishment Instructions
    • Part VI Specific Misdemeanor Punishment Instructions
    • Part VII Intoxication Offenses

Criminal – Crimes Against Persons


  • 3 Transferred Intent
  • 4 Party Liability
  • 5 Homicide
  • Kdinapping and Related Offenses
  • 7 Sexual Offenses
  • 9 Assaultive Offenses
    • Part I Assault
    • Part II Sexual Assault
    • Part III Aggravated Assault
    • Part IV Injury to Child, Elderly Individual or Disabled Individual
    • Part V Deadly Conduct
    • Part VI Consent Defense to Certain Assaultive Crimes
  • 9 Robbery
  • 10 Punishment Instruction
    • Part I General Matters
    • Part II General Punishment Instruction
    • Part III Community Supervision Instructions
    • Part IV Specific Felony Punishment Instructions
    • Part V Specific State Jail Felony Punishment Instructions
    • Part VI Specific Misdemeanor Punishment Instructions

Criminal – Property Crimes


  • 3 Arson
  • 4 Burglary and Criminal Trespass
  • 5 Theft and Related Offenses
  • 6 Misapplication of Fiduciary Property
  • 7 Punishment Instructions
    • Part I General Matters
    • Part II General Punishment Instruction
    • Part III Community Supervision Instructions
    • Part IV Specific Felony Punishment Instructions
    • Part V Specific State Jail Felony Punishment Instructions
    • Part VI Specific Misdemeanor Punishment Instructions