Define That Term #320

Last week's term was utility patent, which is defined as:

A patent issued for inventions that perform useful functions. Most inventions fall into this category. A utility patent lasts for 20 years from the patent application's filing date.

No one guessed this time around.

This week's term is:

dynamite charge.

As always, no dictionaries, please.

Comments

[Vickie Pynchon]

. . . wait wait don't tell me . . . an exploding trust? no, it must be an instruction to a jury that breaks impasse (improperly?)

[NY Law Guy]

A more exciting way of referring to the "Allen Charge" where the judge tells a jury that claims to be deadlocked that it has to keep on working and try to reach a verdict. In New York criminal practice this charge is typically given to a jury before the judge considers a mistrial. It basically says: hey jury, do your job, otherwise we are going to have to do this whole thing over again - and the next jury won't be any smarter than you are.