What is Nonacquittal?

Nonacquittal refers to a situation where a defendant is not acquitted of the charges brought against them, but rather, the trial court does not enter a formal verdict of guilty. Instead, the court may declare a mistrial or dismiss the case without prejudice, which means that the prosecution can refile the charges at a later date.

In other words, nonacquittal occurs when the jury or judge is unable to reach a unanimous decision on the verdict, resulting in a hung jury or a mistrial. This can happen for various reasons, such as juror deadlock, new evidence being discovered during the trial, or procedural errors that invalidate the proceedings.

It's important to note that a nonacquittal does not necessarily mean that the defendant is innocent or that the charges will be dropped. Rather, it simply means that the case has not been resolved through a formal verdict, and the parties may need to reconvene at a later date to continue the proceedings.