Unanimous means complete agreement in a decision made by multiple individuals or parties. During a trial, a unanimous jury means that all jurors agreed in the conclusion and verdict of the court case. Similarly, unanimous decisions in an appellate court case means that all the judges presiding over the case agreed on the verdict, that is, there are no judges with dissenting opinions.
Both state and federal courts require a jury to unanimously decide on a verdict in criminal cases. Federal courts also require a unanimous jury in civil cases; however, state courts vary on this. If a jury is unable to return a unanimous verdict in a case in which unanimity is required, then the result is a hung jury and the presiding judge may require the jury to keep deliberating or declare a mistrial.
See also: Unilateral, Bilateral, Multilateral, and Mutual.
[Last updated in June of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]