What does it mean if a fact has been judicially noticed in a criminal case?

When a fact has been judicially noticed in a criminal case, it signifies that the court recognizes the truth of that fact without requiring further evidence. This is typically applied to facts that are common knowledge or can be accurately and readily determined from reliable sources.

The option stating that the jury may accept it as conclusive but is not required to highlights an important aspect of judicial notice. While the court has recognized the fact, the jury retains the discretion to accept or disregard this fact in their deliberations. This means that even though the court has taken notice of the fact, the jury has the power to weigh its credibility within the context of the evidence presented during the trial.

In contrast, the other options misrepresent the role of the jury and the implications of judicial notice. For instance, stating that the jury must accept it as conclusive would negate the jury's role in evaluating evidence. Mandatory instruction to ignore the fact is also incorrect, as judicially noticed facts are intended to inform the jury. Lastly, automatic guilt for the defendant is not pertinent to the concept of judicial notice; it pertains specifically to the evidence being accepted in the case rather than outcomes.

Therefore, the correct understanding is that while judicially noticed facts are accepted by the court,