![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtEv-jfA0OubGXARE2rtaDE4rd0BItlynBxpnvqzWg0_RHQmWJbhC8PDijB4zmzSRSaRqJyU7G0Tz8JgW8kHXqCXR1GpBiH_DGrpy81wtcGKd1G-PyCntH9OyuPVXhHWZUDrmXjmkfwce/s320/taryag_lg.gif)
This verse is understood as “don’t follow a simple majority to impose the death penalty.” A beis din (court) and the Sanhedrin always have an odd number of members – 3, 23 or 71 – so that there can never be a “hung jury.” It is possible, however, for there to be a simple majority – two judges vs. one judge, 12 judges vs. 11, or 36 vs. 35. When a local Sanhedrin tried a capital case, the simple majority of 12 to 11 was not sufficient to execute a defendant. The vote had to be at least 13 to 10.
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