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McCarthy v. OdellMcCarthy v. Odell

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
May 15, 1922
Reporters:

Judgment and order reversed on the law, and new trial granted, with costs ‍‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‍to appellant to abide event. Held, that it was reversible error for the trial justice, after the jury had been out for twenty-four hours, ‍‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‍to say to them upon their return to the court room, “ Juries are selected, not to disagree, but to agree, and all this time ‍‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‍has been wasted unless the jury comes to an agreement. It is not likely that we will have in this county a jury as ‍‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‍competent and as impartial to try this case as you are.” That the effect of such remarks was to improperly coerce the jury and ‍‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‍resulted in their agreeing upon a verdict within ten minutes thereafter. All concur.

Case Details

Case Name: McCarthy v. Odell
Court Name: Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
Date Published: May 15, 1922
Citation: 202 A.D. 784
Court Abbreviation: N.Y. App. Div.
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