Trial Grounds Mistrials People Eslpod Group Juror Crime

A "mistrial" happens when a "trial" (legal proceedings; a court case) is "rendered invalid" (found to not be proper or legally applicable) because of problems in the "proceedings" (the official steps of the trial). The "grounds" for mistrials are the reasons the trail was rendered invalid, and they include many possibilities.

Sometimes mistrials are "called" (determined and announced) when something happens during the trial that "unduly" (too much; improperly) influences the "jurors" (the group of people who decide whether someone has broken the law). For example, there could be an "outburst" (a loud, emotional response to something) in the courtroom, or it could be proven that one of the jurors had a close relationship with the person on trial or his or her lawyer. Sometimes mistrials are called because a juror was found to have drunk alcohol during a break.

If a lawyer, "judge" (the top authority in a courtroom), or juror becomes ill or injured, or is unable to continue participating in the trial for any major reason, that could be grounds for mistrial. And if there is a "hung jury" (a jury that is "deadlocked" and cannot reach agreement), that can also be grounds for a mistrial.

When there is a mistrial, the trial has to be rescheduled. This benefits the "defendant" (the person who is trying to prove his or her innocence), because the "witnesses'" (the people who observed a crime or can speak about the people involved) memories "fade" (become less) over time, and "victims" (people who were hurt by a crime) are often "reluctant" (do not want) to "relive" (experience something again) the crime in a second trial.