Caldwell v. Yeatman

As early as 1827 Chief Justice Richardson speaking for this court announced it was well settled as a rule of policy in this state that "jurors are not to be received to testify to the motives and inducements on which they may have joined in a verdict . . . . Nor can the affidavits of all the jurors be received to correct a mistake in the verdict." Tyler v. Stevens, 4 N.H. 116, 117. Six years later in the case of State v. Hascall, 6 N.H. 352, 361, an exception (see Hearn v. Railroad,67 N.H. 320, 323), to this general rule was formulated which permitted the use of affidavits of jurors to…