What is the test for discharging a jury when there is a hung jury?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Yang, F067353 (Cal. App. 2015):

Section 1140 provides that "the jury cannot be discharged after the cause is submitted to them until they have agreed upon their verdict . . . unless, at the expiration of such time as the court may deem proper, it satisfactorily appears that there is no reasonable probability that the jury can agree." In the event of a deadlock, "[t]he court may ask jurors to continue deliberating where, in the exercise of its discretion, it finds a 'reasonable probability' of agreement." (People v. Pride (1992) 3 Cal.4th 195, 265.)

It is within a trial court's sound discretion whether to declare a hung jury or order further deliberations. (People v. Bell (2007) 40 Cal.4th 582, 616.) When ordering further

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