Jury was out almost three hours. What took them so long?
I have served on more than one jury. "Sequestration" begins with random chitchat, and in some States, selecting a Foreman. Then there's discussion of the case, and what we thought about various aspects of it ... and then there's voting. Followed by more discussion and debate over points of disagreement. Followed by voting. Lather, rinse repeat. It can get tense. Finally, there's a verdict. And then everybody relaxes ... and there might be some extended relaxation and random chitchat before calling the bailiff and announcing the existence of a verdict. So it always takes longer than outsiders think it should. Every jury of which I have been a part took its duties seriously.
“Jury was out almost three hours. What took them so long?”
I was banking on 20 minutes. I figure they were booking an airline out of the city or something.
“What took them so long?“
Based on my last jury experience where I was the foreman (2d degree murder - guilty verdict), most of the discussion was around the level of the offense, i.e. murder or the lesser included charge of manslaughter. I expect we’ll hear something like that from the jurors when they are interviewed.
The jury generally introduces each other, then they have to elect a foreman, then decide how to proceed. That has to take a couple of hours.
Jury was out almost three hours. What took them so long?
................
Lunch.