M Civ JI 90.24 Mechanics of Verdict

When you retire to the jury room, your first duty is to elect a jury foreman. You may have all the various exhibits that have been admitted in evidence, and your notes, with you. You will also have a prepared Form of Jury Verdict which will contain a blank line in which you should insert the amount of just compensation as determined by you. I also want to emphasize that your verdict does not have to be unanimous. If any five of you agree on a verdict, that constitutes a legal jury verdict. The foreman must sign the verdict.

Note on Use

If two or more parcels are consolidated for trial, the jury should be instructed: “When any five of you agree on a verdict as to a parcel, that will be the verdict on that parcel. However, the same five members of the jury do not have to agree on all of the parcels.”

The uniform condemnation statute of 1980 (MCL 213.51 et seq.) does not specify a verdict form. The form of verdict for actions brought under this statute will depend on the nature of the particular case.

History

M Civ JI 90.24 was added February 1, 1981.