Pennsylvania Code › Title 234 - RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE › Chapter 6 - TRIAL PROCEDURES IN COURT CASES › Part C(2) - Conduct of Jury Trial › Rule 648 - Verdicts

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(A) Upon retiring
				to deliberate, the jury shall select one of its members as foreman.
(B) The verdict shall be unanimous, and shall
				be announced by the foreman in open court in the presence of a judge, the
				attorney for the Commonwealth, the defendant and defendant's attorney, except
				as provided in Rule 602.
(C) If
				there are two or more defendants, the jury may report a verdict or verdicts
				with respect to those defendants, upon which it has agreed, and the judge shall
				receive all such verdicts. If the jury cannot agree upon a verdict with respect
				to all of the defendants, the verdicts which have been received shall be
				recorded.
(D) If there are two or
				more counts in the information or indictment, the jury may report a verdict or
				verdicts with respect to those counts upon which it has agreed, and the judge
				shall receive and record all such verdicts. If the jury cannot agree with
				respect to all the counts in the information or indictment if those counts to
				which it has agreed operate as an acquittal of lesser or greater included
				offenses to which they cannot agree, these latter counts shall be dismissed.
				When the counts in the information or indictment upon which the jury cannot
				agree are not included offenses of the counts in the information or indictment
				upon which it has agreed, the defendant or defendants may be retried on those
				counts in the information or indictment.
(E) If there are two or more informations or
				indictments, the jury may report a verdict or verdicts with respect to those
				informations or indictments upon which it has agreed, and the judge shall
				receive and record all such verdicts. If the jury cannot agree with respect to
				all the informations or indictments, if those informations or indictments to
				which it has agreed operate as an acquittal of lesser or greater included
				offenses to which they cannot agree, these latter informations or indictments
				shall be dismissed. When the informations or indictments upon which the jury
				cannot agree are not included in the offenses of the information or indictment
				upon which it has agreed, the defendant or defendants may be retried on those
				informations or indictments.
(F) If
				there is a summary offense joined with the misdemeanor, felony, or murder
				charge that was tried before the jury, the trial judge shall not remand the
				summary offense to the issuing authority. The summary offense shall be disposed
				of in the court of common pleas, and the verdict with respect to the summary
				offense shall be recorded in the same manner as the verdict with respect to the
				other charges.
(G) Before a
				verdict, whether oral or sealed, is recorded, the jury shall be polled at the
				request of any party. Except where the verdict is sealed, if upon such poll
				there is no concurrence, the jury shall be directed to retire for further
				deliberations.