Who uses the word "single" when they actually mean "one"?

[AndJusticeForSome]

It seems to me that the quote indicates that they cannot come to agreement on ANY counts

Think of how you would phrase the question. Which is more likely:

"We can't agree on a single count. Not even one."

Or

"We can't agree on one of the counts."

Simplest explanation, to me, is the former. No agreement on any.

I really hope I am wrong!

ETA: this is the quote I first saw and made this post in response to:

Around 11 a.m. of the panel's fourth day of deliberations, a note with a question came from the jury foreman, asking how jurors should fill out the verdict form "if we cannot come to a consensus on a single count," said U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. The jury also asked what that would mean for the final verdict, Ellis said.

Though the meaning of the note wasn't entirely clear from its wording, the judge apparently took the panel's note to mean that they are stuck on a single count, not all of them.

Sidenote: these ambiguous statements always remind me of an old SNL skit with Ed Asner.

The guy who controls the nuclear reactor's temperature is going on vacation. He leaves a note telling the co-workers that one thing is all they have to remember:

"You can never give the reactor too much water."

Of course, a crisis comes, the reactor overheats, and the co-workers are all standing around debating whether they should keep adding more water, or if they should be careful how much water they add.

Last scene (spoiler alert): Asner on tropical beach, sees mushroom cloud on horizon...

[Laura PourMeADrink]

1. What is the exact quote that was said/written?

[emulatorloo]

4. "Your honor, if we cannot come to a consensus on a single count, how should we fill in the jury verd

Around 11 a.m. of the panel’s fourth day of deliberations, a note with a question came from the jury foreman. “Your honor, if we cannot come to a consensus on a single count, how should we fill in the jury verdict form for that count,” the note said, according to U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III, “and what does that mean for the final verdict?”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/manafort-jury-suggests-it-cannot-come-to-a-consensus-on-a-single-count/2018/08/21/a2478ac0-a559-11e8-a656-943eefab5daf_story.html


More from the article

Before calling the jury into the courtroom to answer its question, Ellis said the note was “not an exceptional or unusual event in a jury trial” and conferred with lawyers in the case on the wording of his response.

Ellis said he might be open to accepting a partial verdict at a later point, but not yet.

(Snip)

When the jurors were brought into the courtroom, Ellis told them only that if they failed to agree on a verdict, the case would be “left open and undecided,” and that there was no reason another 12 jurors could decide the case “better or more exhaustively” than they could. He told jurors not to yield their beliefs, but asked them to consider whether they stood in the minority, and if so, whether they should change their minds.

Juries are permitted to return partial verdicts, in which they reach a unanimous decision of conviction or acquittal on some — but not all — of the counts against a defendant. In those circumstances, the acquittal or conviction will stand as the trial outcome for those specific charges, but prosecutors must then decide if they want to retry the defendant on the counts that resulted in a deadlock. During deliberations, judges encourage juries that say they are stuck on part or all of a case to keep trying to reach a unanimous verdict.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. ***FOR THAT COUNT*** -- that makes it perfectly clear. nt

[emulatorloo]

6. Yes.

Could possibly be referencing more than one count, but sounds like they are in agreement on other counts.

[gratuitous]

9. It does seem pretty clear, doesn't it?

But that would mean reading the note in its entirety to establish the context of the query. And where's the fun in that when there's shit to be stirred?

[AndJusticeForSome]

11. Exactly.

I wonder why WaPo initially only published a partial quote. And for that matter, why it said the judge was confused about it too.

[AndJusticeForSome]

7. I did not see that longer quote

The added part makes it certain that indeed it is only one count that they don't agree on. Great news!

I wonder why the earlier reports only gave the shorter quote?

[LanternWaste]

2. I do.

But I'm simply inferring from the note its most obvious and common usage ('we need direction on this particular'), rather than reading seven or eight different rationalizations into it.

And if I'm wrong, the world will keep spinning and my cereal won't get soggy.

[brush]

3. That's one way of looking at it but most people see it the other way.

[dansolo]

8. Your confusion doesn't make sense

Why would they ask how to fill in the verdict form if there was no agreement on any of the counts?

[AndJusticeForSome]

10. So a verdict form can't be filled in

As a hung jury? It is only filled in if they all agree or don't? If so, then of course you are right. Thanks.

[lame54]

12. I've already seen several versions of this note...

Not sure which is correct

[NCTraveler]

13. Lots of people.

Pretty common.

Lock him up! Sorry ass deplorable.

[fescuerescue]

14. I do

Never even occurred to me that some people don't.

Maybe it's a regional thing, but to me these have about 90% overlap in meaning.

[obamanut2012]

15. lulz

[kentuck]

16. It was reported that the word "any" was on the note...

...but had been scratched out???

[AndJusticeForSome]

17. No more comments? n/t

[.99center]

18. Did they agree on ANY counts? n/t