"There's not a hard and fast rule as far as time limit before the judge declares a mistrial," said Katherine Loftus, a Boston attorney with Loftus & Loftus PC. "What happens, basically, they would come back and say, 'We're at an impasse' and go back and deliberate some more.
A mistrial due to a hung jury does not mean that the defendant is acquitted or convicted; instead, it resets the case to a pre-trial state, giving the prosecution and defense the opportunity to decide how to proceed. A deadlocked jury is a common type of mistrial but there are multipole other types of mistrials.
ONE IS NOT QUALIFIED TO SERVE AS A JUROR IF: If you have served on jury duty within the past 4 years. If you have been convicted of a felony. If you are under the age of 18 years.
The judge may grant a judgment as a matter of law (JMOL) if it appears there is no issue of material fact for a jury to decide. A judge can deliver both these judgments, but they can't set aside an acquittal in a criminal case. Once a jury has rendered a not-guilty verdict, the judge can't overturn it.
When there are insufficient jurors voting one way or the other to deliver either a guilty or not guilty verdict, the jury is known as a “hung jury” or it might be said that jurors are “deadlocked”. The judge may direct them to deliberate further, usually no more than once or twice.
In both civil and criminal trials, if the jury can't agree on a verdict, they report back to the judge. If the judge feels the jury has not deliberated long enough, they will keep trying. A "hung jury" occurs when the jury is hopelessly deadlocked.
You have a medical condition or disability A diagnosis of your mental or physical condition. A prognosis of how long the condition is expected to exist. A conclusion stating that you are incapable of serving as a juror currently or in the future.
The commissioner of jurors may bring a noncompliance proceeding against a person who fails to respond to the juror qualification questionnaire or summons to appear for jury service by serving upon such person, either personally or by first-class mail, a notice of noncompliance in a form prescribed by the Chief ...
If you are seeking to be permanently excused, mail the summons, the completed update card, a full note of explanation and any supporting documentation, such as a doctor's note, certificate of prior jury service or proof of a new address (yellow postal forwarding sticker, copy of a new drivers license or utility bill).
What happens if a juror does not report for jury service? Jury duty, like paying taxes, is mandatory. Skipping jury duty can result in civil or criminal penalties. In addition, anyone who skips jury service will be assigned a new date for future jury service.