To overturn a guilty verdict, the judge must look at all evidence presented most favorable to the prosecution. The judge can only grant judgment to overturn the verdict if the evidence clearly fails to establish guilt. A judge will never interfere with a jury’s decision and process unless there is a legitimate reason.

Lawyers can ask a judge to reject potential jurors who are biased or incapable of following the law….Courtroom Questioning & Challenging for Cause

1. Personal knowledge about a party to the case or someone connected to the case.
2. Personal experiences that might affect the person’s ability to judge the case.

If jurors believe a question is too personal, they can try to refuse to answer on those grounds, let the judge know, and the judge would make the decision. On a slightly more practical note, if you are objecting to questions, it will impact whether the attorneys on either side will allow you to stay on as a juror.

Generally, if a juror is not willing to take the oath to be a juror, the person will be excused or not selected. Be sure to make your views known to the judge and the attorneys, just be truthful, and you will not have to serve.

If the jurors cannot agree on a verdict, a hung jury results, leading to a mistrial. The case is not decided, and it may be tried again at a later date before a new jury. Or the plaintiff or government may decide not to pursue the case further and there will be no subsequent trial.

JNOV is the practice in American courts whereby the presiding judge in a civil jury trial may overrule the decision of a jury and reverse or amend their verdict. If the judge grants a motion to set aside judgment after the jury convicts, however, the action may be reversed on appeal by the prosecution.

Breaking the nib is a symbolic act. It is done so that the pen which signed the person’s life away will never be used to do that ever again. A death sentence, in principle, is a last resort action in dealing with extremely anti-social acts that cannot be resolved in any other way.

One tap of the gavel follows the announcement of adjournment, the completion of a business item or is a message to members to be seated following the opening ceremony. Two taps of the gavel calls the meeting room to order.

A gavel is a small ceremonial mallet commonly made of hardwood, typically fashioned with a handle. It can be used to call for attention or to punctuate rulings and proclamations and is a symbol of the authority and right to act officially in the capacity of a presiding officer.

A gavel strikes against a small piece of wood called a “sound block.” It can also be referred to as a “sounding block.” Gavels and sound blocks are often used by judges or presiding officers during legal proceedings or meetings in order to signal order or call attention.

Wooden hammer a judge slams down on his desk when he’s trying to bring order to the court? In numerous films highlighting a court scene, the judge is seen beating a wood hammer on the work area to either quietness the court or to declare a choice. Hammer is typically used to punctuate a decision or sign a request.

“English judges have never used gavels. English and Scottish judges don’t use gavels, but you may see a gavel in a British court, because the clerks in Inner London Crown Court do use them “to alert parties in court to the entrance of the judge into the courtroom”.

Gavel. Another name for the auctioneer’s hammer used to close the bidding.

Some vendors agree to sell at “the auctioneer’s discretion” when it is difficult to set a reserve. The risk for the vendor is that the lot may sell below its true market value. This is agreed prior to sale: it can pay to shop around. VAT: All charges are usually subject to VAT.

FAIR WARNING – A phrase used by many auctioneers just before the hammer falls to indicate that he is about to accept the last bid and bidding on the item will cease. It serves notice that the sale is about to be over.

Weiman says he knows auctioneers around the world and many have never worn a cowboy hat. Part of the cowboy hat tradition comes from how auctioneers are portrayed on TV, he says. And part is grounded in reality — auctioneers often sell cattle, and the folks who raise cattle are fond of cowboy hats.