California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Dejohnette, B278736 (Cal. App. 2018):
(2002) 96 Cal.App.4th 1105, 1121-1122 ["because of the relatively brief duration of deliberations conducted by the jurors before they announced they could not reach a verdict," the trial court did not abuse its discretion in concluding "further deliberations might be beneficial without questioning the jury regarding the impasse"]; see also People v. Valdez, supra, 55 Cal.4th at p. 160 ["[n]one of the factors defendant citesthe length of deliberation, the absence of questions about the law, the jurors' statements about their inability to reach a verdictremoved the trial court's discretion to require further deliberation"].) Even though the trial court found the case involved a "simple fact pattern," the trial court did not abuse its discretion in ordering further deliberations after such a relatively short period of jury deliberation time.
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