§ 836 Defendant presumed innocent - Reasonable doubt of guilt requires acquittal.

Anyone charged with a crime starts out innocent in the eyes of the law. The state has to prove guilt, not the other way around. The defendant doesn't have to prove they didn't do it.

If the evidence leaves real doubt about whether the person committed the crime, the jury or judge must find them not guilty. This doesn't mean every tiny doubt counts. It means if a reasonable person looking at the evidence still isn't sure the person is guilty, that's enough to clear them.

This rule protects people from being convicted on weak or shaky evidence. It puts the burden on the prosecution to build a strong enough case to remove reasonable doubt, not on the defendant to prove their innocence.