Skip to Main Content

Texas Pattern Jury Charges

A guide to using the Texas Pattern Jury Charges

How to Use

To find a particular pattern jury charge, first determine which volume you need. The title of each volume provides basic information about what it contains, and you can see above (or look at the publisher’s website, (https://www.texasbarpractice.com/shop/?swoof=1&product_cat=texas-pattern-jury-charges) for the contents of each volume.

Once you know which volume you need, you can use either the Subject Index or the Contents table to determine which pattern charge/page you need. The subject index is alphabetized by broad subject area, and subtopics are arranged alphabetically within each broad subject. The Contents table lists the chapters, parts, and names of pattern charges, along with a page number for each.

When you have located the applicable pattern charge, be sure to read the Comments section at the end. This section provides additional information on the statutory or case law source of the language, when you might want to use it, Texas-specific details, and additional nuances or exceptions to the pattern charge as presented. If necessary, use the citations to find the primary law related to the pattern charge.

Updating

The printed volumes of Texas Pattern Jury Charges are not updated regularly. When a new edition of a volume is published, that edition supersedes the previous edition and contains a table listing the changes that were made in the new edition. You should reference the most recent edition of each volume when researching.

Potential Uses

Texas Pattern Jury Charges Allows Users To:

  • Create jury charges for a specific case.
  • Look up jury charges to see if the charges in a previous trial were appropriate or complete.
  • Research an area of law through jury charges.