united-states criminal-law
When there is a hung jury, is it reported how badly it is hung?
<p>I would think it would be important to the State to know how many hold-outs there were.  It seems like it would effect the cost/benefit analysis the State makes when deciding whether to re-try the case.  It seems like it'd be more worth re-trying a case that was hung 11-1 in favor of conviction rather than if it was hung 1-11 in favor of acquittal.</p>
<p>So are the vote totals known in a hung jury?</p>

<h2>No</h2>
<p>Jury deliberations are secret and while it might be useful to know how hung a jury was and in which direction, the information cannot be accessed without breaching the sanctity of the jury room.</p>

<h2>Not Officially...</h2>
<p>To prevent juror intimidation, no, these numbers are never given.</p>
<h2>... but ...</h2>
<p>But it is common for an attorney to flag down a juror and ask, mostly to decide whether to plan for a possible retrial or let the case go. There generally aren't rules against this, and if the juror is sympathetic to the side of the attorney, there's a decent chance they'll say.</p>
<p>Alternatively, defense attorneys and prosecutors are typically not unfriendly off the court and swapping notes about which jurors you think said what after the fact is not uncommon.</p>
<p>In short, no, the answers aren't given out, but it's usually known to far more than just the jury.</p>

<p>I've been a juror on two hung juries, both in California municipal courts.  In both cases, the judge asked the jury foreman to state how large the factions were <em>without indicating which faction was which</em>.  This question was asked in open court after the jury returned from the jury room.  But it was also asked, in writing, when we told the judge we thought we were hung.  The instruction not to indicate which way the jury was leaning was repeated, using virtually identical language, every time the question was asked.</p>
<p>I believe that, if we had reported that we were split 11-1, we would have been told to deliberate for a while longer.</p>

<p>There are even more explicit cases where detailed information about jurors' votes is available. One is Louisiana where the parties are entitled <em>by law</em> to a juror-by-juror poll on each juror's individual verdict.</p>
<p>My understanding is the result of the poll is part of the case transcript and is therefore in principle publicly available (at least these journalists could get their hand on some of it <a href="https://www.nola.com/article_25663280-c298-53ef-8182-9a8de046619c.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.nola.com/article_25663280-c298-53ef-8182-9a8de046619c.html</a>).</p>
<blockquote>
<p>2017 Louisiana Laws Code of Criminal Procedure CCRP 812 - Same;
polling and disposition of jury Universal Citation: LA Code Crim Pro
812 (2017)</p>
<p>Art. 812. Same; polling and disposition of jury</p>
<p>The court shall order the clerk to poll the jury if requested by the
state or the defendant. It shall be within the discretion of the court
whether such poll shall be conducted orally or in writing by applying
the procedures of Paragraph (1) or Paragraph (2) of this Article.</p>
<p>(1) Oral polling of the jury shall consist of the clerk's calling each
juror, one at a time, by name. He shall announce to each juror the
verdict returned, and ask him, &quot;Is this your verdict?&quot; Upon receiving
the juror's answer to the question, the clerk shall record the answer.</p>
<p>If, upon polling all of the jurors, the number of jurors required by
law to find a verdict answer &quot;Yes,&quot; the court shall order the clerk to
record the verdict and the jury shall be discharged. If, upon polling
all of the jurors, the number required to find a verdict do not answer
&quot;Yes,&quot; the jury may be remanded for further deliberation, or the court
may declare a mistrial in accordance with Article 775.</p>
<p>(2) The procedure for the written polling of the jury shall require
that the clerk hand to each juror a separate piece of paper containing
the name of the juror and the words &quot;Is this your verdict?&quot; Each juror
shall write on the slip of paper the words &quot;Yes&quot; or &quot;No&quot; along with
his signature. The clerk shall collect the slips of paper, make them
available for inspection by the court and counsel, and record the
results. If a sufficient number of jurors as required by law to reach
a verdict answer &quot;yes&quot; the clerk shall so inform the court. Upon
verification of the results, the court shall order the clerk to record
the verdict and order the jury discharged. If an insufficient number
required to find a verdict answer &quot;Yes,&quot; the court may remand the jury
for further deliberation, or the court may declare a mistrial in
accordance with Article 775.</p>
<p>Amended by Acts 1975, No. 475, §1.</p>
</blockquote>
