Verdicts shall be received only in open court in the absence of agreement of the parties.
§ 9-12-3.How verdict received
Chapter 12. Verdict and Judgment · Article 1. General Provisions · Last amended 1933 · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceO.C.G.A. § 9-12-3 requires that a jury's verdict be received in open court unless the parties agree to some other arrangement.
Full Text of § 9-12-3
Plain-English Summary
A verdict becomes official the moment the court receives it, and this section says where that has to happen. Absent an agreement between the parties, the court can only receive a verdict in open court — on the record, in the proceeding both sides can see.
That default protects the parties' interest in knowing exactly when and how the case against them turned into a verdict. The rule bends only when the parties themselves agree to a different arrangement, which keeps the choice to depart from open-court receipt in the hands of the litigants rather than the court alone.
This section governs where and how the verdict is accepted, a step that comes before the questions the rest of this article raises next — how the verdict should be read once accepted, and whether it can later be amended after the jury disperses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where must a jury's verdict normally be received?
In open court.
Can the parties agree to have the verdict received somewhere other than open court?
Yes. The statute allows a different arrangement when the parties agree to one.
What happens if the parties don't agree to a different arrangement?
The default rule governs, and the verdict must be received in open court.
Does this section describe who must be present when the verdict is received?
Not specific individuals, but requiring receipt in open court means the step happens on the record, in a proceeding open to both sides.
Is this a rule about how the jury deliberates?
No. It addresses only how and where a verdict already reached is formally received, not the deliberation process itself.
Amendment History
Orig. Code 1863, § 3486; Code 1868, § 3509; Code 1873, § 3567; Code 1882, § 3567; Civil Code 1895, § 5336; Civil Code 1910, § 5931; Code 1933, § 110-107.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, published by the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Georgia Code Revision Commission / LexisNexis. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
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