No one really knows. It is difficult to predict because each case is very different. Even experienced lawyers won’t hazard a guess. This adds to the tension and anxiety felt by the family of the victim, their relatives and friends as well as the family of the accused. No one knows how long the jury will deliberate. 

People who have been present in the courtroom every day of the trial do not want to miss the verdict being read, once a decision has been reached. People do not want to leave the immediate area of the courtroom but they don’t want to stand around in the hallway for hours either. 

During the day (office hours), people can wait in the victim/witness assistance office (if there is one) and ask to be notified there. However, in the evening, the offices are locked and even the room that the victim’s family may have been using during the trial may be locked. Candace House may also be available. No matter what, this means that there is a lot of “hanging around” and waiting impatiently for the verdict to come down.

Mennonite Central Committee Canada. (2011). Getting through the maze: A guidebook for survivors of homicide.