Iverson v. Pacific American Fisheries

This is an appeal from an order granting a new trial, after a verdict for the defendant (11 to 1) in a personal injury action.

The trial court was convinced that an instruction given the deadlocked jury coerced two jurors into a defense verdict.

The circumstances leading to that conclusion were: That at about 10 p.m., after 8 hours of deliberation, the jury sent a note 1 to the court advising that they were deadlocked— standing 9 to 3 for the defendant; the Washington Pattern Jury Instruction (WPI 1.05) 2 intended for such circum stances, was then read to the jury; 10 minutes after returning to…