Justices Hesitant to Toss Acquittal in Inconsistent Verdicts (1)

A majority on the US Supreme Court seemed to agree that a Georgia man can’t be prosecuted twice for murdering his adoptive mother after a jury issued verdicts that deemed him both sane and insane.

During argument on Tuesday, the justices wrestled with how Georgia courts are allowed to handle inconsistent verdicts.

Justice Elena Kagan said the jury either made a “humdinger of a mistake,” as Georgia is suggesting, or “might have decided to compromise things out or show leniency.” She expressed concern about the court intruding on the jury’s deliberations if its verdict wasn’t a mistake.

The jury found ...