Going to trial: Reaching a unanimous verdict

If you have been following our guide to the criminal trial process, you have probably gotten an idea of just how valuable an experienced and effective Miami criminal defense attorney can be. From the moment you are taken into custody, your legal representative will begin lobbying on your behalf to ensure that the state does not infringe upon your civil liberties, and that your account of events is heard.

Should your case go to a jury trial, it will be left to six individuals (or 12 if you face a capital charge) to rule on whether you are innocent or guilty. Once both the prosecution and your Miami criminal defense lawyer have presented their cases and all cross-examining and rebuttals have been carried out, at trial, the jury will be dismissed to deliberate on the case.

In order to find you guilty of a criminal charge, the jury must come to a unanimous decision – meaning that every member has to determine that you committed the crimes you are charged with. It therefore falls to the prosecution to present evidence that establishes your guilt so immutable that none of the jurors have any grounds to question their account of events.

“The unanimous voting rule supports the reasonable doubt standard since every individual juror must not have any reasonable doubts” regarding the defendant’s guilt, according to Lawyers.com. “If a state allows verdicts without unanimous voting, a defendant can be convicted even though one or two jurors may have reasonable doubt.”

In our next post, we’ll review what happens if the members of the jury can’t come to a consensus on your case.

Are you facing criminal charges in the state of Florida? If so, contact Scott A. Ferris, Esq. today for a free five-minute phone consultation.