sealed verdict

The court bailiff carried the sealed verdicts to the bench.

If the jury's sealed verdict is to acquit Mr. Chavis of the killing, he still faces the possibility of spending years in prison.

The jurors' predicament came to light during the 13th day of deliberations, when they sent a note to Judge Pounders asking whether a deadlock on one count should be submitted as a sealed verdict.

A sealed verdict is a verdict that's put in a sealed envelope when there is a delay in announcing the result, such as waiting for the judge, the parties and the attorneys to come back to court.

Breaking New Ground Judge Pounders said he could find no case law to support his plan to accept sealed verdicts in piecemeal fashion, but he said the case was unusual enough to warrant an unusual procedure.