Does a jury have to be 100 percent guilty?

In a criminal trial, a jury does not need to be 100 percent certain of a defendant's guilt. Instead, they must reach a unanimous decision that the evidence presented proves guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt," which is a high standard but not absolute certainty. If the jury has reasonable doubts about the defendant's guilt, they are required to acquit. In civil cases, the standard is typically "preponderance of the evidence," meaning the jury only needs to believe that it is more likely than not that the claim is true.