The minute a case is given to a jury, speculation begins. One hot topic is always how long it will take the jury to reach a verdict. And the speculation really heats up in that window between word that a verdict's been reached and when it's read in court.
In the Conrad Murray case, the media have been notified there will be a two hour window between the time the jury reaches a verdict and the announcement of that verdict.
Some people would say a short deliberation time means a guilty verdict and a longer deliberation means the jury, or at least one juror, thinks the defendant is not guilty. But take a look at how long it took jurors to decide these cases:
Casey Anthony was acquitted of first-degree murder in the death of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee. The jury deliberated ten hours and 40 minutes.
In 1995, O.J. Simpson was acquitted of two counts of murder in the deaths of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Jurors deliberated for less than four hours.
Jurors from the second Phil Spector trial deliberated for 30 hours and convicted him of second-degree murder in the death of Lana Clarkson.
After 35 hours of deliberations, stretched out over nine days, jurors acquitted Robert Blake of first-degree murder in his wife's death.
Scott Peterson was convicted of first-degree and second-degree murder for killing his wife and their unborn child. The jury deliberated for seven days.
After four days of deliberations, the Menendez brothers were convicted of two counts of first-degree murder for killing their parents.
Steven Hayes was convicted of capital murder in the deaths of three members of the Petit family. The jury deliberated four hours.
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