When a jury cannot reach a verdict, can the court order additional deliberations?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Gonzalez, F077226 (Cal. App. 2020):

Even when jurors steadfastly believe they cannot reach a verdict, a court may still reasonably exercise its discretion to order additional deliberations. For example, in People v. Sandoval (1992) 4 Cal.4th 155, 194-195 (Sandoval), each juror believed "there [was no] reasonable possibility with further deliberations [they could] arrive at a verdict ...." But "the virtually even split [in the vote] and the jurors' individual statements against the usefulness of further deliberations" did not eliminate "the court's discretion to require further deliberations." (Id. at p. 196.)

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