Rule 31 Verdict

# Rule 31: Verdict - What It Means

When a jury reaches a decision in a criminal case, all jurors must agree. This is called a unanimous verdict. The jury tells the judge their decision in open court, with everyone present.

If a case involves more than one defendant, the jury doesn't have to decide on everyone at the same time. They can announce a verdict for one defendant while still working through the evidence for another. If the jury gets stuck and can't agree on a verdict for one or more defendants, those defendants can be tried again in a new trial.

Sometimes a jury may decide a defendant didn't commit the exact crime charged, but did commit a lesser crime that's part of it. For example, if someone is charged with a serious theft crime but the evidence only supports a lesser theft charge, the jury can convict on the lesser offense. This also applies if the defendant only attempted the crime rather than completing it, as long as attempt itself counts as a crime.

After the jury announces its verdict, either side can ask the judge to poll the jury. This means the judge asks each juror individually if they agree with the verdict. If it turns out the jurors don't all actually agree, the judge can send them back to keep deliberating, or can declare that the jury is deadlocked and dismiss them.

Finally, if the criminal charges include a claim that the defendant should lose certain property or money because of the crime (called forfeiture), the jury must make a specific decision about exactly what property or interest is being taken, if any.