PORTLAND, Ore. — Hundreds of defendants in Oregon who were convicted of crimes by non-unanimous juries before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down such jury verdicts have a right to a new trial, under a decision issued by the state’s supreme court on Friday.
The Oregon Supreme Court ruling applies to state cases with non-unanimous jury verdicts where a criminal conviction was final and the appeals, if any, were over before the 2020 Supreme Court decision.
The state’s justice department said it will work immediately to implement the decision. It could affect at least 400 convictions, according to Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.