Legal Definitions - majority verdict

A majority verdict occurs in a jury trial when the jurors cannot reach a unanimous decision, but a specific, legally defined number or proportion of them agree on the outcome. Instead of requiring all jurors to concur, the law in certain jurisdictions allows a verdict to be delivered if a substantial majority of the jurors are in agreement. This mechanism is often implemented to prevent a "hung jury," which would result in a mistrial and potentially require a new trial with a different jury.

Here are some examples illustrating a majority verdict:

• Imagine a criminal trial for fraud where a jury of twelve people has deliberated for several days. After extensive discussion, ten jurors are convinced of the defendant's guilt, while two jurors remain unconvinced. If the jurisdiction's law permits, after a certain period of deliberation and the judge's instruction, the court could accept a verdict of "guilty" based on the agreement of ten out of twelve jurors. This would be a majority verdict, allowing the trial to conclude without a unanimous decision.

• Consider a civil lawsuit concerning a significant personal injury claim. A jury of twelve is tasked with deciding both liability and the amount of damages. After several hours, nine jurors agree that the defendant is responsible for the plaintiff's injuries and that a specific sum should be awarded. The remaining three jurors disagree on either liability or the damages amount. If the relevant civil procedure rules allow for it, the court could accept the decision of the nine jurors as a majority verdict, thereby resolving the civil dispute.

• In a high-profile murder trial, a twelve-person jury struggles to reach a consensus. After deliberating for over a week, the judge brings the jury back into the courtroom and asks if they are deadlocked. The foreman reports that eleven jurors believe the defendant is guilty, but one juror steadfastly maintains a "not guilty" stance. Given the lengthy deliberation and the near-unanimous agreement, the judge, following the jurisdiction's legal framework, might instruct the jury that a verdict can be returned if at least ten jurors agree. If the eleven jurors confirm their agreement on guilt, this would then be recorded as a majority verdict, bringing the trial to a conclusion.