Meaning & use

mistrial

noun·Advanced

A trial that is declared invalid because of a serious procedural error or a deadlocked jury.

See it in a sentence

The judge declared a mistrial after learning that a juror had discussed the case on social media.

Prosecutors decided not to retry the case following the mistrial.

A note on using this word

A mistrial ends a trial without a verdict, so the case can typically be retried rather than resolved.

Words with a similar meaning

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