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🧭 Wrong instructions 🎩 Distraction 🔄 Poor management ⚖️ Wrong legal advice
misdirection

misdirection

8.3
Wrong instruction from a judge to a jury that may change the decision
  • noun
  • /ˌmɪsdɪˈrɛkʃən/
  • Jargon
translation icon : instrucción errónea al jurado
  • The lawyer argued that the misdirection given by the judge influenced the final verdict.

Examples

  • During the case, the attorney pointed out the misdirection that led the jury to misunderstand critical facts.

  • That is to say, a lie by misdirection.

    Blog text (8)

  • Misdirection.

    Swordfish (2001)

  • Misdirection.

    Swordfish (2001)

  • Yes, there's some misdirection because he didn't want to publicly state he was a reviewer—something that Ryan originally respected, and I suspect that Ryan didn't have any problem with that initial misdirection.

    Blog text (4)

  • The judge's misdirection during the trial confused the jury about the evidence presented.

Synonyms

misguidance
vsmisdirection
1 7.1

Wrong advice or information that makes someone make a bad decision

is specific to a judge giving incorrect instructions to a jury affecting the verdict

How Serious

misjudgment
  • Jargon
3.9
misdirection
  • Jargon
8.3
miscue
4 7.7

Surface Forms

misdirection singular
misdirections plural

Morphology

misdirection = misdirect (transparent) = mis + direct + ion

This legal sense is a straightforward nominalization of 'misdirect' describing an instance of wrong guidance to the jury.

Etymology

Misdirection comes from mis- meaning 'wrong' and direction meaning 'to guide'. In law, this becomes the idea of a judge giving 'wrong guidance' to a jury, which explains why such misdirection can affect a verdict.