noun
- trials that have been declared invalid or inconclusive, typically due to procedural errors or a hung jury
Usage: legal term; plural of mistrial
Examples
- The judge declared three mistrials in the high-profile case due to jury tampering.
- Mistrials can be costly and time-consuming for the court system.
- The defense attorney’s misconduct resulted in two mistrials before a verdict was reached.
- After several mistrials, the prosecutor decided not to retry the case.
- The court scheduled new trials following the mistrials caused by hung juries.
- Legal experts debated whether the recent mistrials indicated flaws in the jury selection process.