mistrial

mistrial, in law, a trial that has been terminated and declared void before the tribunal can hand down a decision or render a verdict. The termination of a trial prematurely nullifies the preceding proceedings as if they had not taken place. Therefore, should another trial on the same charges, with the same defendants, be ordered, that trial would start from the beginning, with the previous testimony or other findings not necessarily relevant in the new court proceedings.

There are several factors that can result in a mistrial, including the death of an attorney or juror (if the latter is not replaceable by an alternate); a remark that would be highly prejudicial to a party and that the judge may feel cannot, in spite of instructions, be ignored by the jury; or the discovery that members of the jury had discussed the case contrary to court instructions or that a sequestered jury was able to read or hear newspaper or other media reports of the trial. Most often, a mistrial may be declared if the jury itself cannot arrive at a verdict after repeated attempts (i.e., if it is a hung jury).