A specific finding is a decision made by the jurors on a factful position in a jury trial. It is a decision on a fact made by a jury in its verdict at the judge’s request. Often the judge directs questions at the jury to be answered as a part of its deliberations. These questions are meant to guide the jury through the facts of a case to help the jurors focus on the issue. Specific findings are the answers returned by the jury which are then used to resolve the case. For example, the jury may be asked to answer a specific question, “Was the defendant negligent?” The jury’s specific finding may be –“yes, the defendant was negligent.”
The case, Ripley County Board of Zoning Appeals v. Rumpke of Indiana, explains that “specific findings represent supporting basic facts upon which determinations are based.”
[Last updated in September of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]