shotgun charge
A shotgun charge (also referred to as dynamite , nitroglycerin, third-degree or Allen charge ) refers to jury instructions given by a court to a hung jury to encourage it to continue deliberating until it reaches a verdict . Since a mistrial could allow the defendant to go free, even though they might have committed a crime , judges sometimes use a “shotgun charge” to reduce the risk of a mistrial.
[Last reviewed in May of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team ]
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