hung jury

American

noun

a jury that cannot agree on a verdict.

hung jury Cultural

A jury that is unable to reach a verdict of guilty or not guilty. The result is a mistrial, and legal proceedings must be reinitiated to bring the case to trial again. Trying the case a second time does not constitute double jeopardy.

Etymology

Origin of hung jury

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Aside from the Bronstein case, the others ended in an acquittal or a hung jury.

From Los Angeles Times

It is the second trial for Singh, after a trial in March ended in a hung jury.

From BBC

“The court finds that these two pieces of evidence presented here would have not have resulted in a hung jury nor in the conviction of a lesser instructed offense.”

From Los Angeles Times

The prosecution urged the judge to use an Allen charge, which is a set of instructions given to a hung jury to press its members to reach a unanimous decision.

From BBC

The jury also sent a note Monday morning asking Judge Farber to reread the concept of reasonable doubt and rules of deliberation "especially in terms of avoiding a hung jury".

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023