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Most civil trials in New York use only six jurors instead of the typical 12 in a criminal case. In order to make a decision in a criminal case, jurors usually need to believe the case ?beyond a reasonable doubt,? and all 12 of them need to agree. In a civil case, the standard is much lower.

The judge issues a judge's charge to inform the jury how to act in deciding a case. The jury instructions provide something of a flowchart on what verdict jurors should deliver based on what they determine to be true. Put another way, "If you believe A (set of facts), you must find X (verdict).

When jurors cannot agree on a verdict and report this to a judge, the judge may issue further instruction to them to encourage those in the minority to reconsider their position. These instructions are known as an Allen charge or, more casually, as a dynamite charge.

If jurors remain undecided on a verdict, additional Allen charges may be issued to the jury. However, if repeated Allen charges fail to bring a hung jury to consensus, the judge will eventually declare a mistrial. Formal wording of the instructions varies depending on which court is issuing them.

If you are not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of a charged crime, you must find the defendant not guilty of that crime. If you are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of a charged crime, you must find the defendant guilty of that crime. CPL 300.10(2).

Twenty-two states have rejected the charge by judicial decision: Alaska. Arizona. California.