After four days of closing arguments in a more than year long special circumstances Contra Costa County murder trial, firm owner David J. Cohen and associate Alexander P. Guilmartin await as the jury deliberates over the verdict.
A jury deliberates after closing arguments are made in a criminal jury trial. The jury is then provided with instructions and gather in a jury room to discuss the case where they will eventually deliver a verdict. In California, a jury must reach a unanimous decision for criminal trials, and there is no time limit to decide. If the jury cannot agree on a verdict, then a mistrial is declared.
If a mistrial is declared, the case can be tried again at a later date in front of a new jury. Alternatively, the government or prosecutor can decide not to pursue the case any longer in which case no subsequent trial will take place.
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