What Happens When a Jury Can’t Agree? Understanding Hung Juries in Arizona

An abstract image symbolizing a divided jury in a criminal trial, featuring a split gavel and a fractured courthouse silhouette, representing the concept of a hung jury and mistrial. Uses muted tones to convey legal seriousness and ambiguity.

What happens when jurors can’t agree on a verdict in a criminal trial? In Arizona, it results in a mistrial—but that doesn’t mean the case is over. In this post, criminal defense attorney Joel Chorny explains how hung juries work, why retrials are riskier, and why our system might need a serious rethink.