JURY INSTRUCTION TO CONTINUE DELIBERATIONS AFTER A NON-UNANIMOUS VERDICT WAS NOT COERCIVE.

The Court of Appeals, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Garcia, determined a jury instruction given after a jury verdict was found not to be unanimous was not coercive:

The supplemental instruction in this case, taken in context, was not coercive. In response to the jury’s representation that it had reached a “verdict” — when, in fact, the jury was not unanimous — the trial judge provided clarification that, in order to constitute a verdict, all jurors had to agree. Moreover, … the trial judge here stressed that the jurors should “attempt” to reach a verdict … , thereby leaving “open the possibility that the jurors would have principled disagreements that would prevent them from reaching a unanimous verdict” … . The court did not “overemphasize” the need to return a verdict or “suggest[] that the jurors were failing in their duty” by not doing so … . Nor did the court indicate that the jurors would be subject to “prolonged deliberations”… .

Contrary to defendant’s claim, the absence of “cautionary language” is not fatal to the supplemental charge. Just two hours before its supplemental instruction, the trial court provided an instruction containing ample cautionary language reminding the jury “not [to] surrender an honest view of the evidence.”  People v Morgan, 2016 NY Slip Op 08484, CtApp 12-20-16

 

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