Legal Definitions - dynamite instruction

Definition: A supplemental jury instruction given by the court to encourage a deadlocked jury, after prolonged deliberations, to reach a verdict. This instruction is also known as the Allen Charge, named after the case Allen v. United States. The purpose of this instruction is to urge the jurors to re-examine their positions and try to reach a unanimous decision.

Examples: If a jury has been deliberating for a long time and is unable to reach a verdict, the judge may give a dynamite instruction to encourage them to continue deliberating. The instruction may include statements such as:

• "It is your duty to decide this case if you can do so without violence to your individual judgment."
• "Each of you must decide the case for yourself, but do so only after an impartial consideration of the evidence with your fellow jurors."
• "Remember, it is not important which way the case is decided, but only that it is decided."

These statements are intended to remind the jurors of their responsibility to reach a verdict and to encourage them to continue deliberating until they can reach a unanimous decision.

Explanation: A dynamite instruction is a tool used by judges to break a deadlock in a jury's deliberations. It is called a "dynamite" instruction because it is meant to be a forceful reminder to the jurors of their duty to reach a verdict. The instruction is given only after the jury has been deliberating for a long time and is deadlocked, meaning they are unable to reach a unanimous decision. The purpose of the instruction is to encourage the jurors to continue deliberating and to try to reach a verdict. The examples given illustrate the types of statements that may be included in a dynamite instruction. These statements are intended to remind the jurors of their responsibility to reach a verdict and to encourage them to continue deliberating until they can reach a unanimous decision.