Rule 48 Juries of Less Than Twelve -- Majority Verdict

If both sides in a lawsuit agree, they can decide to have fewer than 12 jurors hear their case. They can also agree that the jury does not need a unanimous vote to reach a verdict. Instead, they can accept a decision made by a certain majority of the jurors, like 10 out of 12 or 8 out of 10.

This means the people involved in the case have some control over how the jury process works. But this only happens if both sides agree to it. Neither side can force this change on the other. If they do agree, this arrangement follows the rules set out in Hawaiʻi state law under section 635-20.

In short, this gives parties flexibility. They are not stuck with the standard rule of needing all 12 jurors to agree, and they are not stuck with exactly 12 jurors, as long as everyone consents to the change ahead of time.