Jurors must deliberate on evidence and reach a verdict in criminal or civil trials. Verdicts are based on facts, and judges decide penalties. Jurors must reach a verdict by majority or unanimity, and a hung jury may result in a mistrial.
When a case goes to trial before a jury, it is the duty and responsibility of the jurors to deliberate on the evidence presented by both sides and reach a court verdict. A verdict is a decision made by jurors to determine whether or not a defendant is guilty in a criminal trial or whether a defendant is liable in a civil trial. The decision is based only on the facts and a judge must decide on the penalty by convicting or passing judgment if a defendant is found guilty or liable. There are special verdicts where the judge has to decide whether the accused is guilty or not. The jury’s job in these cases is to rigorously decide the facts without making any inferences of guilt or liability.
In a civil case, the jury receives instructions from the judge after closing arguments and must deliberate on the evidence to reach a verdict. The court verdict that jurors often arrive at is twofold: the liability of the defendant and the amount of damages. The jury must argue and debate the facts in order to reach a decision based on the legal standard that the judge has instructed them to use. Often a juror is asked to deliver the verdict on behalf of the entire jury, and that person is referred to as the jury foreman. Jurors must reach a verdict by sufficient majority or unanimity, depending on the jurisdiction and type of case.
The standard court verdict in a criminal trial that jurors often pronounce is “guilty” or “not guilty.” There may be multiple counts for a jury to decide on, and each count may end in a different verdict. Before a jury is allowed to reach a final decision, the judge often gives them instructions on how to rule on the evidence and legal standards that must be met, such as “beyond a reasonable doubt.” A judge often has to accept a “not guilty” verdict, but a judge may be able to override a “guilty” verdict if the conclusions reached by the jury were unreasonable or for other reasons. The judge often passes judgment once the verdict is received and must convict the defendant if the verdict is “guilty.”
Some cases result in a hung jury if they fail to reach a court verdict based on a sufficient majority or unanimity, whichever is required by the applicable legal standards in the case presented. The judge may send the jury back to deliberate further. If a verdict cannot be reached, a judge often declares a mistrial. The plaintiff or the prosecutor can bring the case to trial again.
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