<blockquote><font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica ,sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by blanp: By Edward Iwata USA TODAY If the jury in the Arthur Andersen criminal trial becomes hopelessly deadlocked, prosecutors can ask U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon to deliver the so-called "Allen charge," an instruction to jurors to return to deliberations and reach a verdict. Lawyers call it the "dynamite charge" because it often shakes up stalemated jurors into finding a defendant guilty or not guilty, rather than acquitting.<p>***The Allen charge often confuses jurors, not to mention reporters.***<hr></blockquote><p>***The "guilty or not guilty, rather than acquitting" part had me so bamboozled, I almost didn't notice "hopelessly deadlocked," as if there is another kind of deadlock. And "so-called" is also unnecessary.***
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