Legal Definitions - defective verdict

A defective verdict is a decision made by a jury that is flawed to such an extent that a judgment cannot be based on it. This can happen for several reasons, such as procedural irregularities during deliberations or contradictions in the substantive conclusions.

• In Sullivan v. Louisiana (1993), the jury was given a "constitutionally defective" reasonable doubtinstruction, which rendered the verdict defective.
• In People v. Jolly (2001), the verdict was defective due to inconsistencies in the evidence presented during the trial.
• In Lau v. Goord (2008), the verdict was defective because the jury was not properly instructed on the law.

These examples illustrate how a verdict can be defective due to various reasons, such as improper instructions given to the jury or inconsistencies in the evidence presented. When a verdict is defective, the judge may call for more deliberations or declare a mistrial if the problems cannot be resolved.