In the final play of the Orestia trilogy by Aeschylus, the goddess Athena convenes a jury of twelve citizens to decide the guilt of Orestes in the murder of hi

In the final play of the Orestia trilogy by Aeschylus, the goddess Athena convenes a jury of twelve citizens to decide the guilt of Orestes in the murder of his mother, Clytemnestra. The jury is evenly split, and Athena adds a final vote for innocence, calling it her precedent. It is unfortunate that the United States did not follow this ancient judicial custom EDIT: to acquit if half the jury refuses to convict. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oresteia#The_Eumenides https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oresteia#The_Eumenides (I live in a midsize U.S. town that happens to have the oldest community theater that performs Greek plays in mask every year.)