Can a jury be persuaded into reaching a verdict by using language that refers to "conscientiously held doubts" in a jury trial?

MultiRegion, United States of America

The following excerpt is from U.S. v. Melendez, 60 F.3d 41 (2nd Cir. 1995):

This language could not have "coerce[d] undecided jurors into reaching a verdict by abandoning without reason conscientiously held doubts." Robinson, 560 F.2d at 517. Further, we have approved essentially the same instruction in Hynes, 424 F.2d at 756 n. 2, holding that it was "couched in the fairest possible language," id. at 757. We did not then, and do not now, take exception to the district court's quoting directly from Allen v. United States. Thus, it follows that the district court did not abuse its discretion in delivering this supplemental charge, and that the charge was not coercive.

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