- Published on
KembaraXtra – Legal Terms – Majority Verdict
A majority verdict is a verdict reached by most, but not all, members of a jury. Such verdicts are permitted in both criminal and civil proceedings under certain conditions.
In criminal trials, the court initially requires the jury to attempt to reach a unanimous verdict. Only after sufficient deliberation time has passed may the judge accept a majority verdict.
Where there are 11 jurors, at least 10 must agree. If only 10 jurors remain, at least 9 must agree. If a guilty majority verdict is returned, the foreman must state openly how many jurors agreed and disagreed.
The use of majority verdicts aims to reduce the risk of hung juries and mistrials while still maintaining confidence in the fairness of jury decisions.
A majority verdict is a verdict reached by most, but not all, members of a jury. Such verdicts are permitted in both criminal and civil proceedings under certain conditions.
In criminal trials, the court initially requires the jury to attempt to reach a unanimous verdict. Only after sufficient deliberation time has passed may the judge accept a majority verdict.
Where there are 11 jurors, at least 10 must agree. If only 10 jurors remain, at least 9 must agree. If a guilty majority verdict is returned, the foreman must state openly how many jurors agreed and disagreed.
The use of majority verdicts aims to reduce the risk of hung juries and mistrials while still maintaining confidence in the fairness of jury decisions.
0 Comments