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31 N.Y. Sup. Ct. 181

Weeks v. Hart

New York Supreme Court

Decided February 15, 1881

New York Supreme Court · decided 1881-02-15

<p>Juror — may dissent from a verdict at any time before it is recorded.</p> <p>Upon the polling of a jury one of them stated that he was not satisfied with the verdict. Having stated, in answer to a question put by the court, that he had agreed to the verdict, the court, against the objection of the defendant’s counsel, directed the verdict to be entered.</p> <p>Held, that this was error, that the right of a juror to dissent from a verdict to which he has before agreed, is not lost until the verdict has been recorded.</p>

Decided 1881-02-15

Gilbert, J.:

¶1When the jurors were polled one of them responded that he was not satisfied with the verdict. The court asked the juror if he had not agreed to the verdict, and the juror responded that he had. The defendant’s counsel objected to the entry of the verdict, the court overruled the objection and the defendant’s counsel excepted. Whereupon the court directed the verdict to be entered. That direction was clearly erroneous. The jury should have been sent back for further deliberation. The right of a juror to dissent from *182a verdict to which he had before agreed, is not lost until the verdict has been recorded. Any expression of dissent before that has been done, destroys the unanimity which is essential to make a verdict valid. (Labar v. Koplin, 4 Coms., 550, and cases there cited; 3 Waite’s Pr., 192.)

¶2This error being decisive it is unnecessary to consider the other questions presented.

¶3The judgment and order must be reversed and a new trial granted, with costs to abide the event.

Barnard, P. J., concurred; Dykman, J., not sitting.

¶4Judgment and order denying new trial reversed and new trial granted, costs to abide event.

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