Object to Undefined Terms in Jury Charges
The Dallas Court of Appeals recently held that undefined terms in jury charges must be given their "commonly understood meaning." The Court noted that neither party objected to the lack of a definition. As a result, the Court held that there was legally sufficient evidence to support the jury's verdict based on the common understanding of the term and the requirement that the appeals court cannot disregard reasonable inferences drawn from the evidence that support's the jury's finding. The Court's opinion in Dallas Central Appraisal District v. Friends of the Military can be found here.
