Is a judge allowed to overrule the desision of the jury if he feels it is wrong?

Question

This is something I was wondering about. I asked both my dad, who helps out in the courts, and my history teacher who spent some time in law school. My dad said that he was pretty sure that they could and that it was called something like 'side-stepping' and also tried looking it up. My teacher said that it wasn't possible.

just so you know, when I say he helps out in the courts, I mean he works in a county court(he's not a government official)

Answer 1

Only to acquit, not to convict.

A judge can determine, on motion from a party or on his own, that no reasonable jury could have possibly come up with a guilty verdict in a criminal trial. Such situations are rare, and the judge would basically be holding that the jury convicted because of emotions, not based on facts. So, as a matter of law, the evidence cannot reasonably support a conviction.

But a judge cannot do the opposite, and find someone guilty in opposition to a verdict of acquittal.

Answer 2

In criminal court, the judge may acquit even if the jury convicts. However, if the jury acquits, the judge cannot overrule this. In Civil court however, the judge can go either way and completely disregard the jury. But, there are limitations on this as well. A judge generally will only do so with regard to damages awarded (and then, it is in reducing damages), or when there is no dispute of facts for the jury to decide, and as a matter of law the outcome should be a certain way. (Juries occasionally do strange things.....okay, not occasionally, but OFTEN.)

Answer 3

NO I DONOT imagine SO. The decide is the single which interpret the regulation because the proceedings is present procedure. at the same time as the jury on the different hand is the single which weight the incorrect or suitable of the accuse and the protection. The jury is the single which collect themselves in a unmarried room and vote for the innocence of the accuse or the guilt no longer the decide. If it truly is the case then we do not opt for the jury if the decide will only over rule the decision of the jury is it no longer? hi the decide CAN DO each thing why can we nonetheless opt for the jury for? In our u . s . we do no longer have jury that is why some judges are being paid to over became the decision because of money, interior the case of a jury you may pay each jury to over became the case in opt for of the accuse is it no longer? what number jury are there?

Answer 4

A judge can overrule the jury only if they are turning a "guilty" verdict into a "not guilty" verdict but not the other way around.

Answer 5

Jury nullification is done in this country when the judge, who also hears the evidence, cannot let a guilty verdict stand as it is so egregious, he throws it out!

Answer 6

I think it probably varies from state to state.