What is a Hung Jury?

A hung jury is a situation during a criminal trial in which the jurors are unable to come to an agreement on the verdict. When a jury is unable to reach a unanimous verdict after having deliberated for a reasonable period of time, the court may declare a mistrial and a new trial will be called. In some countries, a hung jury may result in the lesser charge of manslaughter if two-thirds of the jurors support that specific finding.

How Does a Hung Jury Occur?

Jurors during a criminal trial are instructed by the judge to deliberate in favor of the defendant’s innocence or guilt by considering the evidence that was presented at trial. In order for the jury to decide that the defendant is guilty of the charges, all jurors must be in agreement and vote unanimously for a guilty verdict. If there is a split or disagreement amongst the jurors and the court is unable to unify the jurors after a certain period of time, a mistrial will be declared and no verdict will be given.

Effects of a Hung Jury

The occurrence of a hung jury does not necessarily mean that the defendant is innocent, as the jury is simply unable to reach a verdict. The prosecution may choose to retry the defendant on the same charges, reducing them, or dismissing the case altogether. Furthermore, a hung jury may also have a detrimental affect on the prosecution’s credibility in future cases. In a hung jury situation, the jurors may agree that a defendant has done something wrong, but that the state did not prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. This can weaken the public perception of the state’s prosecution abilities, which may deter potential defendants from taking plea bargains and contesting their cases in a trial.

Ultimately, a hung jury is a sign that the jurors could not reach a consensus on the verdict and that further deliberations would be futile. It is the responsibility of the court to decide the defendant’s fate when a jury is unable to reach a verdict. Though a hung jury does not always offer closure for victims, the jury is still an important part of determining justice in criminal trials.