§3531 Return; Several Defendants; Conviction of Less Offense; Poll of Jury—(rule)

Summary

A jury must agree on a verdict before anyone is found guilty. The jury gives its verdict in open court. When several people are tried together, the jury gives a separate verdict for each person. If the jurors cannot agree, the judge can end that jury’s trial (declare a mistrial). If the evidence supports a smaller crime, the jury may instead return a guilty verdict for that lesser offense. After the verdict is announced, any side can ask the judge to call each juror by name and ask if that juror agrees with the verdict. If any juror says they do not agree, the judge can send the jury back to keep talking or take other steps.