Why Are DC Juries Less Less Likely to Convict Than Juries in Other Jurisdictions?

It is often cited that District of Columbia juries convict defendants less often than juries in other jurisdictions. Juries are certainly quirky creatures. Juries tend to convict attractive people less often than unattractive defendants. Then there's the CSI effect: If prosecutors don't present all the evidence that they could possibly show to a jury --as in an episode of CSI-- the jurors assume that that evidence was lacking.

Studies show that District of Columbia juries do have a higher hung jury rate than many other cities. Race is often cited as a factor in the relatively high DC hung jury rate, but that's not necessarily so. The randomness of human nature often plays a part: In a study done on hung juries, researchers found that religion sometimes influences jurors: One juror said that she heard God say "I have forgiven him." Other jurors have a mistrust of the police that leads them to create their own conspiracy theories.

It seems that when there's one holdout and the verdict is 11 to 1 to convict, that lone juror is more likely to be simply acting on a whim than on the certainty that the evidence proves defendant's innocence.

Eleven-to-one verdicts must be frustrating for the the prosecution, but they are also frustrating for other jurors.  Here's how one DC juror described her feelings about serving on a jury in which the vote was 11 to 1.

Recently, a case involving a defendant in a criminal matter that occurred in Eckington ended in a mistrial. The case was solid and the jury voted 11-1 to convict, save one quirky juror who continuously offered extra scenarios that were not presented as evidence or were logical.

I have served on plenty of juries over the years and I believe the process is worth it. If you are a reasonable person and believe that you can look at evidence presented at trial and evaluate said evidence in a logical and unbiased manner, then please step up. Some people will vote to acquit no matter what the evidence. We need more unbiased, reasonable people serving as jurors. The next time you receive a jury summons in the mail, please answer the call to serve. Be assured that biased persons, unwilling to convict under any circumstances despite overwhelming evidence of a defendant's guilt will be eager to assert their view.