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Glite Dictionary
hung jury

hung jury

23 7.4
A group of people who cannot agree on a verdict, so the trial ends without a decision
  • noun
  • /hʌŋ ˈdʒʊəri/
  • Jargon
translation icon : jurado sin veredicto
  • After his first trial ended in a hung jury, Hoffa was reindicted on charges that he tried to bribe a federal grand juror.
  • ended in a hung jury

And she was on trial and the first time got a hung jury.

Examples

  • Despite substantial evidence in the State's case against mob boss, Louie Boffano, speculation turns toward the possibility of a hung jury as deliberations move into the third day.

    The Juror (1996)

  • Claiborne's first trial ended in a hung jury after the defense introduced evidence showing that Conforte was getting a passport in New York at the time.

    Academic text (2000)

  • The court is not going to accept a hung jury.

    12 Angry Men (1997)

  • I was tried, I was retried, I got a hung jury both times.

    The Chamber (1996)

  • If the jurors cannot reach a unanimous decision, then they are considered deadlocked, also called a hung jury.

    Blog text (4)

  • The criminal charges against him resulted in a hung jury, and the prosecutor chose not to refile but to refer the case to the Family Court of Orange County.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The judge declared a mistrial after the jury could not agree, resulting in a hung jury.

  • During the high-profile trial, news reports focused on the possibility of a hung jury if the jurors could not reach a consensus.

  • After several hours of deliberation, the foreman announced that the jury was deadlocked, resulting in a hung jury.

Synonyms

mistrial
vshung jury
  • Specialized
53 6.8

A court trial that ends without a decision because of an error or jury disagreement

is the specific case where jurors cannot agree and causes an invalid trial

Antonyms

unanimous
111 4.4

Everyone agrees about the same thing

decisive
11 3.2

So clear that it leaves no doubt

Surface Forms

hung jury singular
hung juries plural

Morphology

hang + jury

While 'jury' is transparent, the adjective 'hung' here is a specialized, non‑literal use of 'hang' meaning 'unable to agree' rather than physical suspension; that legalized sense is not fully predictable from the basic verb a B1 learner would typically know. Together the phrase suggests a 'stuck' or 'deadlocked' jury (so learners can partially infer the idea), but mapping 'hung' to 'mistrial/failed verdict' usually requires prior exposure, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Hung jury may come from the image of something hung, meaning held up and not moving, so the jury is 'stuck' and cannot reach a decision. That's why a hung jury means a jury that 'cannot agree' and the case may need a 'new trial'.