mistrial

2 definitions • 3 examples

a trial that cannot be completed or whose result has no legal value, usually because a legal mistake has been made:

The judge declared a mistrial after newspapers printed a juror's name.

He went on trial for the second time after the first case ended in a mistrial.

a trial that is ended by a judge because no decision can be reached or because mistakes in law have been made that make a fair trial impossible:

After the jury had deliberated for two weeks without reaching a verdict, the judge declared a mistrial.