hung jury

American

noun

a jury that cannot agree on a verdict.

hung jury Cultural

A jury that is unable to reach a verdict of guilty or not guilty. The result is a mistrial, and legal proceedings must be reinitiated to bring the case to trial again. Trying the case a second time does not constitute double jeopardy.

Etymology

Origin of hung jury

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

hung jury

Eventually, a hung jury can result in a mistrial.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2025

I really felt that it was possibly going to end in a hung jury, like a lot of other people, and was blown away.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2024

“The idea is to try to gin up a hung jury or some kind of person to have sympathy,” Litman said during an appearance on MSNBC.

From Salon ● May 29, 2024

The outcome could be acquittal or conviction on all charges; conviction on some and acquittal on others; or a hung jury, if jurors are unable to reach unanimous agreement on a verdict.

From New York Times ● May 28, 2024

The trial ended with a hung jury, so Beecher faced no legal consequences.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023