EMPIRICAL STUDY OF FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE, CAUSES, EFFECTS, AND AMOUNT OF TIME CONSUMED BY HUNG JURIES FINAL REPORT

• NCJ Number: 19026
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 120 pages
• Grant Number(s): 11417
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Planning and Management Consulting Corporation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THREE YEARS OF COURT DATA FROM TEN OF CALIFORNIA'S MOST POPULOUS COUNTIES WERE ANALYZED IN THIS REPORT, RESULTING IN THE FINDINGS THAT MORE THAN 12 PERCENT OF ALL CRIMINAL TRIALS IN THOSE COUNTIES RESULTED IN HUNG JURIES.

Abstract

IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THERE WAS NO DISCERNIBLE RELATION BETWEEN THE TYPE OF OFFENSE AND OCCURRENCE OF HUNG JURIES ALTHOUGH SOME OFFENDER GROUPS (E.G., YOUNG BLACK MALES) RECEIVED A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF HUNG JURIES. DATA FOR THE STUDY WERE GATHERED FROM THREE FILES: A VERDICT TRIAL DATA FILE ON THE NUMBER OF SUPERIOR COURT CRIMINAL TRIAL VERDICTS; A DISPOSITION FILE ON SUPERIOR COURT DEFENDANTS; AND A HUNG JURY FILE, WHICH WAS DEVELOPED FROM ON-SITE VISITS TO THE TEN STUDY COUNTIES. OTHER RESULTS ARE THAT HUNG JURIES ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT 12 PERCENT OF COURT TIME AND OVER IN PERCENT OF THE TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF THE VERDICT TRIAL COURT DAYS. THE APPENDIX INCLUDES AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON HUNG JURIES AND JURY TRIALS. SEE NCJ-26002 FOR A SUMMARY.