§ 837 Doubt as to degree of guilt.

If someone is found guilty of a crime, but it's not clear which level or degree of that crime they actually committed, the law says they can only be convicted of the least serious option. For example, if a jury can't tell whether someone committed first-degree or second-degree assault, they must convict on the lesser charge, second-degree assault.

This rule protects defendants when the evidence doesn't clearly point to a more serious level of guilt. Courts and juries can't guess or lean toward the harsher charge just because they suspect it might be true. If there's real doubt about which degree fits the facts, the benefit of that doubt goes to the defendant.

This matters because different degrees of the same crime usually come with different punishments. Getting convicted of a lower degree instead of a higher one can mean a shorter sentence or lighter penalty. The rule makes sure people aren't punished more harshly than the evidence actually supports.