united-states criminal-law
Can a jury award a defendant in a criminal trial money?
<p>Hypothetically, Adam is charged with a crime and stays in jail for a few months before going before a jury.  The jury decides that not only is Adam innocent, but he's so obviously innocent that he never should have been charged in the first place.</p>
<p>Can the jury compensate Adam for this?</p>
<p>If not, can Adam be compensated at all?</p>

<p>In the US this is generally governed by state law: <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=4.24.350" rel="nofollow noreferrer">RCW 4.24.350</a> in Washington state. The criminal jury is not empowered to make such a decision, but a separate civil trial for malicious prosecution would be possible. Plaintif (ex defedant) would have to prove that</p>
<blockquote>
<p>the action was instituted with knowledge that the same was false, and
unfounded, malicious and without probable cause in the filing of such
action, or that the same was filed as a part of a conspiracy to misuse
judicial process by filing an action known to be false and unfounded</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The basis for the lawsuit would be the objective facts that prove that the prosecution was false and malicious, and not the fact of acquittal or the subjective opinion of a juror.</p>

<p><strong><a href="/questions/tagged/england-and-wales" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;england-and-wales&#39;" rel="tag">england-and-wales</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Can the jury compensate Adam for this?</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>No, this is outside of the jury's responsibilities.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>If not, can Adam be compensated at all?</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Only if he can prove that his case was seriously mishandled, for example, by a malicious prosecution.</li>
</ul>
