Subject to the provisions of Section 16-17, after a verdict has been returned and before the jury has been discharged, the jury shall be polled at the request of any party or upon the judicial authority’s own motion. The poll shall be conducted by the clerk of the court by asking each juror individually whether the verdict announced is such juror’s verdict. If upon the poll there is not unanimous concurrence, the jury may be directed to retire for further deliberations or it may be discharged. (See Sec. 869, P.B. 1978-1997.)
Section 16-32.—Poll of Jury after Verdict
Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceOnce a jury returns a verdict and before it is discharged, either side can ask the court to poll the jurors one by one to confirm each of them agrees with the verdict announced, and the court can also do this on its own.
Full Text of Section 16-32
Amendment History
(P.B. 1998; amended June 29, 1998, to take effect Jan. 1, 1999.)
Plain-English Summary
After a jury delivers its verdict but before the judicial authority discharges it, Section 16-32 lets any party — or the judge on his or her own initiative — require the jury to be polled. The clerk of the court conducts the poll by asking each juror individually whether the announced verdict is that juror’s verdict. This gives every juror one last chance to confirm agreement on the record, or to disagree.
If the poll shows the jurors are not unanimous, the judicial authority has two options: send the jury back for further deliberations, or discharge it. The section applies subject to Section 16-17, which lets the judicial authority return a jury for a second or third round of deliberations when it finds the verdict mistaken or contrary to law.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to poll a jury in Connecticut?
It means the clerk asks each juror, one at a time, whether the verdict just announced is that juror’s own verdict, confirming the jury is truly unanimous.
Who can request a jury poll?
Any party to the case can request it, and the judicial authority can order a poll on its own motion, at any point after the verdict is returned but before the jury is discharged.
What happens if a juror disagrees during the poll?
If the poll reveals the jurors are not unanimous, the judicial authority may send the jury back to deliberate further or may discharge the jury.
Is there a deadline to request a poll?
The request must come after the verdict is returned and before the jury has been discharged — once the jury is discharged, polling under this section is no longer available.
Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 16-32). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: polling the jury Connecticutjury poll after verdict CTasking jurors individually if they agree with verdictunanimous verdict confirmation Connecticutclerk poll jury Practice Book