Rule 24.5 Jury Poll

When a jury announces its verdict, either side can ask the judge to check with each juror one by one to make sure they actually agree with that verdict. This is called polling the jury. The judge can also decide to do this on their own, even if nobody asks.

If it turns out during this check that the jurors don't all agree, the judge has two choices. The judge can send the jury back to keep discussing the case until they reach a real agreement, or the judge can declare a mistrial and let the jurors go home. A mistrial means the case didn't get a final decision this time, and it may need to be tried again.

This rule matters because a verdict is only official if the jury actually agrees on it. Polling gives each juror a chance to speak up if they feel pressured or if they changed their mind before the verdict becomes final. It protects the fairness of the trial by making sure the announced verdict truly reflects what every juror believes.