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NCJ Number:
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NCJ 199372
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Title:
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Are Hung Juries a Problem? Executive Summary
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Journal:
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Author(s):
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Paula L. Hannaford-Agor J.D. ; Valerie P. Hans Ph.D. ; Nicole L. Mott Ph.D. ; G. Thomas Munsterman M.S.E
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Corporate Author:
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National Ctr for State Courts
United States
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Date Published:
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09/2002 |
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Page Count:
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8 |
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Sponsoring Agency:
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Grant Number:
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98-IJ-CX-0048 |
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Sale Source:
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National Ctr for State Courts
300 Newport Avenue
Williamsburg, VA 23185-4147
United States
NCJRS Photocopy Services
Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000
United States |
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Document:
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PDF |
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Agency Summary:
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Agency Summary |
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Dataset:
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR03689 |
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Type:
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Studies/research reports |
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Language:
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English |
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Country:
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United States |
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Annotation:
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This study examined the rate, causes, and some ways to reduce the
number of hung juries. |
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Abstract:
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The study used three methodologies. First, the project team conducted a broad-based survey of Federal and State courts to document hung jury rates. Second, the project team selected 4 courts for an in-depth jurisdictional study of nearly 400 felony trails. Using surveys of judges, attorneys, and jurors, the
project team examined case characteristics, interpersonal
dynamics during jury deliberations, and juror demographics and
attitudes. These variables were compared for cases in which the
jury reached a verdict and cases in which the jury deadlocked on
one or more charges. The third research methodology was a case
study of 46 deadlocked cases from the in-depth jurisdictional
study, so as to develop a taxonomy of reasons for jury deadlock.
An analysis of State court data found that the average hung jury
rate was 6.2 percent, but with significant variations among
jurisdictions. Neither demographic compositions of the populations nor community characteristics such as crime rates were related to hung jury rates. The Federal hung jury rates in the 14 Federal circuits were much more uniform and lower than in State courts, averaging 2.5 percent for criminal trials from 1980 through 1997. Multiple approaches were used to explore the data to determine what differentiates a hung jury from one that reaches a verdict. Consistent themes of weak evidence,
problematic deliberations, and jurors' perceptions of unfairness
were present in hung juries. Although a hung jury may be an
appropriate outcome when the evidence evenly supports the
prosecution and defense, better pretrial decisions and trial
preparation can reduce the rate of hung juries. If juries hang
due to weak evidence, prosecutors should reassess charging
policies and decisions regarding which cases are brought to
trial. Efforts to provide jurors with tools to comprehend the
evidence and process information more effectively may also reduce
the incidence of juror confusion and resulting deadlock. Judicial
guidance on how a jury should deliberate can also help prevent a
hung jury. 7 notes |
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Main Term(s):
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Court procedures |
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Index Term(s):
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Jury instructions ; Jury decisionmaking ; Hung juries ; Jury research ; NIJ grant-related documents |
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Note:
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For the full report, see NCJ-197523. |
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To cite this abstract, use the following link:
https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=199372
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* A link to the full-text document is provided whenever possible. For documents
not available online, a link to the publisher's web site is provided.
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