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LSDefine

Simple English definitions for legal terms

shotgun charge

Read a random definition: working papers

A quick definition of shotgun charge:

A shotgun charge is when a judge tells a jury that they need to keep talking and trying to make a decision until they come up with a verdict. This is because if they can't agree, the case might have to start all over again, and the person who might have done something wrong could go free. So, the judge gives them a special instruction to keep trying to figure it out.

A more thorough explanation:

A shotgun charge is a set of instructions given by a judge to a hung jury to encourage them to continue deliberating until they reach a verdict. This is done to avoid a mistrial, which could allow a guilty defendant to go free.

Imagine a jury is unable to reach a verdict in a murder trial. The judge may give them a shotgun charge, telling them to continue deliberating and consider all the evidence presented in the trial.

Another example could be a jury in a civil case that is deadlocked on a decision. The judge may give them a shotgun charge, urging them to continue deliberating and try to reach a verdict.

These examples illustrate how a shotgun charge is used to encourage a hung jury to keep deliberating and try to reach a verdict, rather than declaring a mistrial.

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got a random stanford email and almost had a heart attack
ALSO CONGRATS!
Congrats1!
21:15
Miami A, yall I'm so excited I could cry.
21:15
Feel like I can finally stop holding my breath!! Whew!!!
[] baddestbunny
22:16
every time I get accosted by a strange man who follows me around because my male coworkers were too busy talking to walk me back to my car I get closer to saying we need to bring back traditional gender roles
Dkk
22:32
Nice! @Macaque
Dkk
22:32
@Aromatic, Have to guess.
Dkk
22:33
That sucks @Bunny do you have to go to the hospital?
[] baddestbunny
22:40
I said accosted not assaulted
23:35
guys. my notre dame address just went long is this good or bad
1a2b3c4d26z
23:37
Oooooo me too
23:37
omg is this good or bad
Dkk
23:47
Idk if gender roles are gunna fix that then.
23:49
it looks like most people who applied in october last cycle didn't get a decision until january... does it even mean anything that our addresses went long??
hows ED 2 compared to ED 1?
Dkk
0:10
No idea
windyMagician
0:34
reporting live to say my ndls address also went long
does it mean anything ^
Dkk
2:21
NDLS and Fordham took a very long time last year. It's good info for people to know.
[] baddestbunny
4:29
let’s get after it boys and girls
Dkk
5:21
I gtg to bed soon.
Dkk
5:22
Big day today. Gunna be a crazy one. I will sleep through the first half.
good morning lsd it is 5 am EST
also jazzy my ndls address went long ages ago i sadly do not think it means anything
my stanford address also went long LOL i think at most it's an indicator it's under review
WorthlessAttractiveZombie
7:44
My berkeley paragraph finally disappeared. I definitely think it is just an indicator that they are actively reviewing files, and does not mean anything about A, WL, or Rs
WorthlessAttractiveZombie
7:46
Also has anyone's date disappeared for W&L? Mine did last night
7:55
@WorthlessAttractiveZombie: mine did yesterday morning
7:56
Oops sorry I meant Vilanova. Mine disappeared last week
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