§ 136.415 Presumption of innocence; acquittal in case of reasonable doubt

Every person charged with a crime starts out innocent in the eyes of the law. The state has to prove the person committed the crime. The defendant does not have to prove anything or show they are innocent.

If the jury or judge looks at all the evidence and still has a reasonable doubt about whether the person actually committed the crime, the law says they must find the person not guilty. The doubt does not have to be a huge or dramatic one. It just has to be a real, honest doubt based on the evidence, or lack of evidence, presented at trial.

This protection exists because the consequences of a criminal conviction are serious. It is better for the system to let a guilty person go free than to punish an innocent person. So the burden stays on the government the whole time, and if they cannot clear that bar, the person walks away acquitted.