Document Type
Article
Abstract
The author considers the two principal types of improper judicial behavior that may occur during the jury deliberation process. Judicial conduct that attempts to place undue pressure on a jury to reach a verdict may include verdict-urging instructions, threats and intimidation, and inquiry into the numerical division of the jury on the merits of the verdict. Judicial participation in private, ex parte communications with jurors may also subvert orderly trial procedure and undermine the impartiality of the jury. Neither kind of judicial conduct may be allowed to compel a verdict from a jury.
Recommended Citation
Bennett L. Gershman, Judicial Misconduct During Jury Deliberations, 27 Crim. L. Bull. 291 (1991), http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/lawfaculty/939/.
Included in
Criminal Law Commons, Criminal Procedure Commons, Judges Commons, Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Commons