After a two-week criminal trial in a very high-profile bank robbery case, the jury finally ends its fourteen hours of deliberations and enters the courtroom to deliver its verdict to the judge. The judge turns to the jury foreman and asks, “Has the jury reached a verdict in this case?”
“Yes we have, your honor,” the foreman responds.
“Would you please pass it to me,” the judge declares, and motions for the bailiff to retrieve the verdict slip from the foreman and deliver it to him. After the judge reads the verdict himself, he delivers the verdict slip back to his bailiff to be returned to the foreman and instructs the foreman, “Please read your verdict to the court.”
“We find the defendant not guilty of all four counts of bank robbery,” states the foreman.
The family and friends of the defendant jump for joy at the sound of the “not guilty” verdict and hug each other as they shout expressions of gratitude. The defendant’s attorney turns to his client and asks, “So, what do you think about that?”
The defendant looks around the courtroom slowly with a bewildered look on his face and then turns to his defense attorney and says, “I’m real confused here. Does this mean that I have to give all the money back?”