משנה: אִם מָֽצְאוּ לוֹ זְכוּת פְּטָרוּהוּ. וְאִם לָאו מַעֲבִירִין דִּינוֹ לְמָחָר. וּמִזְדַּווְּגִין זוּגוֹת זוּגוֹת מְמַעֲטִין בְּמַאֲכָל וְלֹא הָיוּ שׁוֹתִין יַיִן כָּל הַיּוֹם וְנוֹשְׂאִין וְנוֹתְנִין בַּדָּבָר כָּל הַלַּיְלָה וְלַמָּחֳרָת מַשְׁכִּימִין וּבָאִין הַמְזַכֶּה אוֹמֵר אֲנִי הוּא הַמְזַכֶּה וּמְזַכֶּה אֲנִי בִמְקוֹמִי. וְהַמְחַייֵב אוֹמֵר אֲנִי הוּא הַמְחַייֵב וּמְחַייֵב אֲנִי בִמְקוֹמִי. הַמְלַמֵּד חוֹבָה מְלַמֵּד זְכוּת. אֲבָל הַמְלַמֵּד זְכוּת אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַחֲזוֹר וּלְלַמֵּד חוֹבָה. וְאִם טָעוּ בַדָּבָר שְׁנֵי סוֹפְרֵי הַדַּיָּנִין מַזְכִּירִין אוֹתָן. וְאִם לָאו עוֹמְדִים לַמִּנְייָן. שְׁנֵי עָשָׂר מְזַכִּין וְאַחַר עָשָׂר מְחַייְבִין זַכַּאי. שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מְחַייְבִין וְאַחַד עָשָׂר מְזַכִּין וַאֲפִילּוּ עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם מְזַכִּין אוֹ מְחַייְבִין וְאֶחָד אוֹמֵר אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ יוֹסִיפוּ הַדַּייָנִים. עַד כַּמָּה מוֹסִיפִין שְׁנַיִם שְׁנַיִם עַד שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד. שְׁלשִׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה מְזַכִּין וּשְׁלשִׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה מְחַייְבִין זַכַּאי. שְׁלשִׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה מְחַייְבִין וּשְׁלשִׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה מְזַכִּין דָּנִין אֵילּוּ כְּנֶגֶד אֵילּוּ עַד שֶׁיִּרְאֶה אֶחָד הַמְחַייְבִין אֶת דִּבְרֵי הַמְזַכִּין׃ MISHNAH: If they found him innocent, they free him. Otherwise they hold his case over to the next day, split into groups of two, eat little and refrain from wine the entire day, and discuss during the entire night88The topic of discussion is not mentioned; it seems to be the case under consideration. In the Tosephta, the judges are required to review the legal background, if a murder case the laws of murder, if an incest case the laws of incest.. The next morning they start early. One who voted for acquittal says, I am for acquittal and I remain for acquittal. One who voted for conviction says, I am for conviction and I remain for conviction. He who voted for conviction may vote for acquittal; but he who voted for acquittal may not change and vote for conviction. If they erred in the matter, the two clerks of court will remind them.
If they found him innocent, they free him; otherwise they tally the vote. If twelve are for acquittal and eleven for conviction, he is found innocent. If twelve are for conviction and eleven for acquittal94A criminal conviction needs a qualified majority of at last two (Mishnah 4:2). Since there was no majority for acquittal, the accused is neither acquitted nor convicted; this is a case of a hung court., or even twenty-two are for acquittal or conviction and one says, I do not know95A judge who abstains in the final vote is counted not present. Then the court is no longer composed of 23 members; there is a mistrial., they shall add judges.
Up to what number does one add? [One adds] two and two up to 71102The size of the Supreme Court is the upper limit for the size of any court.. If 36 vote for acquittal and 35 for conviction, he is found innocent. If 36 vote for conviction and 35 for acquittal102The size of the Supreme Court is the upper limit for the size of any court., they have to continue to argue with one another until one of the voters for conviction is convinced by the arguments of those in favor of acquittal.
הלכה: אִם מָֽצְאוּ לוֹ זְכוּת פְּטָרוהוּ כול׳. תַּנֵּי. אֶחָד מִן הָעֵדִים שֶׁאָמַר. יֵשׁ לִי לְלַמֵּד עָלָיו זְכוּת. וּבָא חֲבֵירוֹ וְסִייְעוֹ וּבָא חֲבֵירוֹ וְסִייְעוֹ. אֶת מִי מְמַנִּין. לָרִאשׁוֹן לַשֵּׁינִי לִשְׁנֵיהֶן. נִישְׁמְעִינָהּ מֵהָדָא דְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. וְהוּא שֶׁנִּזְדַּכֶּה מִפִּי עַצְמוֹ אֵין מוֹשִׁיבִין אוֹתוֹ דַייָן. הֲרֵי שֶׂנִּזְדַּכֶּה מִפִּי עַצְמוֹ וְנִמְצָא עֵד וְדַייָן לֹא מָצִינוּ עֵד נַעֲשֶׂה דַייָן. HALAKHAH: “If they found him innocent, they free him,” etc. It was stated: If one of the witnesses said, I have an argument for his acquittal, and another came to support him, (and another came to support him,)96Corrector’s addition, to be deleted. whom do you co-opt97Following Mishnah 4 which, however, speaks of law students, not of witnesses. Only R. Yose ben R. Jehudah admits pleading by a witness (Tosephta 9:4).? Let us hear from the following of Rebbi Joḥanan: If somebody was acquitted following his own pleading, one does not place him with the judges. Therefore, if he was acquitted following (his own)98This must read: “the witness”. pleading, then one person would be simultaneously witness and judge. We do not find that anybody can be both witness and judge.
אוֹמְרִים בְּדִינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת. נִזְדַּקֲּן הַדִּין. [וְאֵין אוֹמְרִין בְּדִינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת נִזְדַּקֲּן הַדִּין.] וְהַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבַּדַּייָנִין אוֹמֵר. נִזְדַּקֲּן הַדִּין. In civil suits one declares the judgment as definitive99A strictly literal translation would be: “the judgment became old.” The interpretation of this otherwise unknown expression follows Rav Ashi in the Babli, 42a. The case can neither be appealed nor retried. [but in criminal suits one does not declare the judgment as definitive.]100Addition also found in the Babli, implied by the preceding sentence. As long as a criminal sentence was not executed, the trial may be re-opened at any time if a new argument for acquittal can be presented. The greatest among the judges declares the judgment as definitive 101Babli 42a..
עַד כַּמָּה מוֹסִיפִין כול׳. תַּנֵּי. לָמָּה מוֹסִיפִין דַּייָנִין. שֶׁאִם הָיוּ שְׁנַיִם מִן הָרִאשׁוֹנִים מְזַכִּין וְאֶחָד מִן הָאַחֲרוֹנִים לִיגָּמֵר הַדִּין בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה. אָמַר רִבִּי לָא. מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּרְאֶה דִינוֹ לִיגָּמֵר בְּאַרְבָּעָה אֵין גּוֹמְרִין אוֹתוֹ בִשְׁלֹשָׁה. “Up to what number does one add,” etc. 104This and the next paragraph refer to Halakhah 3:3; the subject is civil suits. It was stated: Why does one add judges? For if there were two of the original judges voting affirmatively105Even if two judges vote for the claimant but the third abstains, no judgment can be rendered by a court of two., together with one of the later ones judgment will be rendered by three. Rebbi La said, since the judgment can be rendered by four, one does not render it by three106Although only one additional judge is needed, one always adds two. If only one judge were added, he would be unable to change the outcome; he is not really a judge of equal standing with the others. But two judges could force the addition of another two by voting for the defendant..
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. וְתִשְׁמַע מִינָהּ. שְׁלֹשָׁה שֶׁדָּנוּ וּמֵת אֶחָד מֵהֶן. חוֹתְמִין בִּשְׁנַיִם וְכוֹתְבִין. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁחָתַמְנוּ בִשְׁנַיִם בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה דָנַנּוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי חַגַּיי. מַתְנִיתָא אָֽמְרָה כֵן. הַדַּייָנִין חוֹתְמִין בּוֹ מִלְּמַטָּה אוֹ הָעֵדִים. וּלְמֵידִין מִידַּת הַדִּין מִפְּרוֹזְבּוֹל. אַשְׁכַּח תַּנֵּי. הוּא לָמַד מִידַּת הַדִּין מִפְּרוֹזְבּוֹל. Rebbi Yose said, one understands from here: 107This is from Ševiˋit 10:3, Note 91 where prozbol is explained. The text there and in the Babli, Ketubot 22a, is in the name of the earlier Amora R. Abba. If three sat in judgment and one of them died, two sign and note: Even though we are two who sign, we were three in judging. Rebbi Ḥaggai said, a Mishnah implies this: “The judges sign at the bottom or the witnesses.” Does one learn court documents from prozbol? It was found stated: This about court documents he inferred from the rules of prozbol.
לֹא רָאָה. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר. זַכַּאי. רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אָמַר. חַייָב. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. וַהֲלֹא זַכַּאי הוּא. וְלָמָּה דָנִין אֵילּוּ כְנֶגֶד אֵילּוּ. שֶׁלֹּא יֵירָאֶה דִין זֶה יוצֵא מְעֻמְעָם. If nobody changes his opinion108This refers to the Mishnah. If no one voting for conviction changes his mind, at the end of the day judgment must be rendered. What is the practical consequence of 36 votes for conviction, 35 for acquittal?? Rebbi Joḥanan said, he is acquitted109Since the votes for conviction fall short of the majority required, it is an automatic acquittal (Babli 42a).. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, he is convicted110Since there is a majority for conviction, there can be no acquittal. R. Simeon ben Laqish will agree that if it is a capital case, the accused cannot be executed except the missionary for idolatry (Tosephta 10:12).. Rebbi Joḥanan said to him, is he not acquitted111Mishnah 4:2.? Why do they have to continue to argue with one another? So the judgment should not be in question112To discourage any attempt at a retrial..