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Verdict Definition:
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French: truth told; the decision of a jury.
Related Terms:
Jury,
Perverse Verdict,
Jury Nullification,
Grand Jury
In criminal cases, this is usually expressed as "guilty" or "not guilty". In a civil case, the verdict would be a finding for the plaintiff or for the defendant.
In Anthony v Anthony, the Supreme Court of Georgia noted that:
“The meaning of the word verdict (is) a true saying.”
In Groves v State, the reasons of Justice Gilbert of the same court, contained these words:
“The object of all legal investigations is the discovery of truth….
“The word (verdict) imports verity … a true saying….
"A verdict is a declaration of the truth as to the matters submitted to
the jury…. It is a very important act. It is a culmination of the trial,
and embodies the conclusions of the jury upon the questions of fact
litigated upon the trial.”
In Szlinsky v Denhup, the Supreme Court of Connecticut:
“A verdict of the jury is the jury’s answer to the question of fact contained in the issue formed by the pleadings of the parties.”
REFERENCES:
- Anthony v Anthony, 29 S.E. 923 (1898)
- Groves v State, 132 S.E. 796 (1926) Ed. Note: extracts from the case have been reordered slightly to promote readability.
- Szlinsky v Denhup, 239 A. 2d 595 (1968)
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