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

Aside from the Bronstein case, the others ended in an acquittal or a hung jury.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026

It is the second trial for Singh, after a trial in March ended in a hung jury.

From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2025

Menendez was coming off his first federal corruption trial, which ended in a hung jury.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 5, 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

I think that’s a point at which we might begin to discuss the question of whether we’re a hung jury or not.

From "Twelve Angry Men" by Reginald Rose

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