Verdict

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Verdict \Ver"dict\, n. [OE. verdit, OF. verdit, veirdit, LL.
     verdictum, veredictum; L. vere truly (fr. verus true) +
     dictum a saying, a word, fr. dicere, dictum, to say. See
     {Very}, and {Dictum}.]
     1. (Law) The answer of a jury given to the court concerning
        any matter of fact in any cause, civil or criminal,


        committed to their examination and determination; the
        finding or decision of a jury on the matter legally
        submitted to them in the course of the trial of a cause.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The decision of a judge or referee, upon an issue of
           fact, is not called a verdict, but a finding, or a
           finding of fact. --Abbott.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Decision; judgment; opinion pronounced; as, to be
        condemned by the verdict of the public.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              These were enormities condemned by the most natural
              verdict of common humanity.           --South.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Two generations have since confirmed the verdict
              which was pronounced on that night.   --Macaulay.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  verdict
       n : (law) the findings of a jury on issues of fact submitted to
           it for decision; can be used in formulating a judgment
           [syn: {finding of fact}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  23 Moby Thesaurus words for "verdict":
     acquittal, action, award, condemnation, consideration, decision,
     decree, deliverance, determination, diagnosis, dictum, doom,
     finding, judgment, landmark decision, order, penalty, precedent,
     prognosis, pronouncement, resolution, ruling, sentence
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  VERDICT, Practice. The unanimous decision made by a jury and reported to the 
  court on the matters lawfully submitted to them in the course of the trial 
  of a cause. 
       2. Verdicts are of several kinds, namely, privy and public, general, 
  partial, and special. 
       3. A privy verdict is one delivered privily to a judge out of court. A 
  verdict of this kind is delivered to the judge after the jury have agreed, 
  for the convenience of the jury, who after having given it, separate. This 
  verdict is of no force whatever; and this practice being exceedingly liable 
  to abuse, is seldom if ever allowed in the United States. 
       4. A public verdict is one delivered in open court. This verdict has 
  its full effect, and unless set aside is conclusive on the facts, and when 
  judgment is rendered upon it, bars all future controversy in personal 
  actions. A private verdict must afterwards be given publicly in order to 
  give it any effect. 
       5. A general verdict is one by which the jury pronounce at the same 
  time on the fact and the law, either in favor of the plaintiff or defendant. 
  Co. Lit. 228; 4 Bl. Com. 461; Code of Prac. of Lo. art. 519. The jury may 
  find such a verdict whenever they think fit to do so. 
       6. A partial verdict in a criminal case is one by which the jury acquit 
  the defendant of a part of the accusation against him, and find him guilty 
  of the residue: the following are examples of this kind of a verdict, 
  namely: when they acquit the defendant on one count and find him guilty on 
  another, which is indeed a species of general verdict, as he is generally 
  acquitted on one charge, and generally convicted on another; when the charge 
  is of an offence of a higher, and includes one of an inferior degree, the 
  jury may convict of the less atrocious by finding a partial verdict. Thus, 
  upon an indictment for burglary, the defendant may be convicted of larceny, 
  and acquitted of the nocturnal entry; upon an indictment for murder, he may 
  be convicted of manslaughter; robbery may be softened to simple larceny; a 
  battery, into a common assault. 1 Chit. Cr. Law, 638, and the cases there 
  cited. 
       7. A special verdict is one by which the facts of the case are put on 
  the record, and the law is submitted to the judges. Lit. Sel. Cas. 376; 
  Breese, 176; 4 Rand. 504; 1 Hen. & Munf. 235; 1 Wash. C. C. 499; 2 Mason, 
  31. The jury have an option, instead of finding the negative or affirmative 
  of the issue, as in a general verdict, to find all the facts of the case as 
  disclosed by the evidence before them, and, after so setting them forth, to 
  conclude to the following effect: "that they are ignorant, in point of law, 
  on which side they ought upon those facts to find the issue; that if upon 
  the whole matter the court shall be of opinion that the issue is proved for 
  the plaintiff, they find for the plaintiff accordingly, and assess the 
  damages at such a sum, &c.; but if the court are of an opposite opinion, 
  then they find vice versa." This form of finding is called a special 
  verdict. In practice they have nothing to do with the formal preparation of 
  the special verdict. When it is agreed that a verdict of that kind is to be 
  given, the jury merely declare their opinion as to any fact remaining in 
  doubt, and then the verdict is adjusted without their further interference. 
  It is settled, under the correction of the judge, by the counsel and, 
  attorneys on either, side, according to the state of the facts as found by 
  the jury, with respect to all particulars on which they have delivered an 
  opinion, and, with respect to other particulars, according to the state of 
  facts, which it is agreed, that they ought to find upon the evidence before 
  them. The special verdict, when its form is thus settled is, together with 
  the whole proceedings on the trial, then entered on record; and the question 
  of law, arising on the facts found, is argued before the court in bank, and 
  decided by that court as in case of a demurrer. If either party be 
  dissatisfied with their decision, he may afterwards resort to a court of 
  error. Steph. Pl. 113; 1 Archb. Pr. 189; 3 Bl. Com. 377; Bac. Abr. Verdict, 
  D, E. 
       8. There is another method of finding a special verdict this is when 
  the jury find a verdict generally for the plaintiff, but subject 
  nevertheless to the opinion of the judges or the court above on a special 
  case stated by the counsel on both sides with regard to a matter of law. 3 
  Bl. Com. 378; and see 10 Mass. R. 64; 11 Mass. R. 358. See, generally, Bouv. 
  Inst. Index, h.t..