Privy Verdict Law and Legal Definition
Privy Verdict refers to a verdict that is delivered privately to a judge out of court. The jury obtains leave to give its verdict after the judge has left or adjourned the court, so that the jurors can be delivered from their confinement. However such verdicts should be affirmed afterwards in open court. It has no validity unless so affirmed.
Privy verdicts are exceedingly liable to abuse and are seldom if ever allowed in the United States. This practice is not prevalent now and has been superseded by rendering a sealed verdict.
