How long will it take the jury to reach a verdict?
A. No one can predict how long jury deliberations will take. Some juries take minutes, others take days, depending on the complexity of the evidence and duration of the trial. Considering this has been an unusually long, complex case, the jury is expected to take some time to reach its verdict. Q. Can the jury ask the judge for help during deliberations? A. Yes, the judge can provide assistance to the jury if he feels it is necessary, although the judge would first discuss the matter with the Crown and defence to get their views on what is appropriate. For example, if the jury wanted clarification on the law — what constitutes reasonable doubt or the difference between first-degree murder and second-degree — the judge could clarify those issues, even though he dealt with them in his final instructions to the jury. Q. What if the jury requests to hear a playback of specific testimony? A. The judge will arrange to play the audio recording of both the direct exam and cross-examination rel
