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mistrial
noun
mis·tri·al
ˈmis-ˌtrī(-ə)l
: a trial that has no legal effect with regard to one or more of the charges brought against the defendant because of some serious error or prejudicial misconduct in the proceedings or a hung jury
Examples of mistrial in a Sentence
The judge declared a mistrial.
Recent Examples on the Web
The suit, which ended in a mistrial on accusations of jury tampering, triggered a huge amount of negative press, leading to Ford issuing the apology.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
The criminal case ended in a mistrial in 2010, and Mr. Burgos was later convicted of molesting two more star tennis players.
—David W. Chen, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
However, the jury was unable to reach a verdict for robbery counts and a mistrial was declared on those charges, court records show.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 20 Dec. 2024
Penny’s lawyers argued the impasse called for a mistrial.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1628, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near mistrial
Cite this Entry
“Mistrial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistrial. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
mistrial
noun
mis·tri·al
ˈmis-ˌtrī(-ə)l
: a trial that is cancelled because of an error in the proceedings
Legal Definition
mistrial
noun
mis·tri·al
ˈmis-ˌtrī-əl
: a trial that terminates without a verdict because of error, necessity, prejudicial misconduct, or a hung jury see also manifest necessity compare dismissal sense 2, trial de novo
More from Merriam-Webster on mistrial
Nglish: Translation of mistrial for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of mistrial for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mistrial
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