If a jury deadlocks resulting in a hung jury or mistrial, prosecutors may elect to retry the defendant.
November 18, 2025
high
temporal
A hung jury/mistrial does not automatically preclude retrial; prosecutorial discretion governs whether to pursue a new trial.
Offering money to a juror in exchange for returning a particular verdict constitutes juror bribery or jury tampering and is a criminal offense.
November 17, 2025
high
criminal_law
Legal principle addressing attempts to corrupt the judicial process by influencing jurors with payments or favors.
Courts may dismiss an empaneled jury and pause trial proceedings if judges discover credible evidence of juror tampering, and courts may empanel anonymous juries when there are concerns about juror safety or impartiality.
November 17, 2025
high
procedural
Procedural options available to judges to protect the integrity and safety of juries and trials.
Defense attorneys can file motions for a change of venue in criminal cases when pre-trial publicity is high and they believe an unbiased jury cannot be selected.
November 10, 2025
high
legal
Change-of-venue motions are a recognized pretrial procedure intended to address potential jury bias caused by publicity.
When a court enters a default judgment establishing liability, the court may convene a jury to determine the amount of damages to award.
October 15, 2025
high
procedural
Liability can be resolved by default while a separate proceeding or jury determines monetary damages.
A capital (death penalty) sentence is imposed only if the jury unanimously agrees to return a death verdict (12 out of 12 jurors in jurisdictions that use 12-member juries).
high
legal
In capital cases, sentencing typically requires a unanimous jury decision to impose death; many U.S. jurisdictions use 12-member juries.
When a default ruling is entered in civil litigation, a jury may be convened to determine the amount of damages owed by the defaulting party.
high
legal_procedure
A default ruling can resolve liability, leaving the quantification of damages to a jury.
A judge can award or add punitive damages on top of a jury's compensatory damages verdict in civil cases.
high
legal_procedure
Punitive damages are intended to punish wrongdoing and may be assessed in addition to compensatory awards.
A hung jury in a criminal trial means the jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict, which results in no verdict and can lead to a mistrial and potential retrial.
high
legal_procedure
Describes the legal consequence of a jury being unable to reach a verdict in a criminal trial.
Whether a defendant reasonably believed they were acting in self-defense is a factor that juries may use to distinguish between first-degree murder and second-degree murder.
high
legal_principle
The reasonableness of a claimed belief in self-defense affects the assessment of the defendant's mental state and culpability.
Civil defamation lawsuits can result in monetary judgments when a jury finds that a defendant's statements harmed a plaintiff's reputation.
high
legal-procedural
Defamation is a civil tort that may lead to damages awards if liability and harm are proven.
In criminal cases, prosecutors must have sufficient admissible evidence to meet the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt before filing charges or seeking a conviction.
high
legal
General principle governing criminal prosecutions and charging decisions.