Also known as: w/o dissent · unanimous · unanimously
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A decision or action reached with the complete agreement of all participants and without any opposing votes or objections.
Wesley Wells and Wanda Williams sued their former employer for breach of contract. After deliberating, the six-member jury returned a verdict for the plaintiffs. Because the parties had not stipulated otherwise, the verdict satisfied the requirement of complete agreement among all jurors.
Willow West was tried on federal fraud charges. The jury retired, reached agreement on every count, and announced its decision in open court with every juror concurring. The court accepted the verdict because it reflected the required complete agreement of the panel.
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Wallace Webb challenged a state statute that prohibited interracial marriage. All nine justices joined an opinion striking down the law under the Fourteenth Amendment. The decision carried complete agreement among the members of the Court.
Wolverine Steel shareholders convened to consider removing a director. More votes favored removal than opposed it. The director was removed because the number of votes cast to remove exceeded the number cast against removal under the applicable statute.
Willa Whitman and Wesley Wong served as cotrustees of a family trust. They could not agree on an investment decision. The remaining cotrustee joined one side, allowing the trust to proceed under the majority rule that applies when unanimous agreement cannot be reached.
Windham Technologies challenged a state ban on promotional advertising. The Supreme Court reviewed the regulation under the four-part test for commercial speech. The participating justices issued an opinion that struck down the ban as unconstitutional.
A unanimous jury verdict requires every juror to agree on the outcome. In civil cases the verdict must also be returned by at least six members unless the parties stipulate otherwise. In criminal cases the verdict must be returned in open court and must reflect complete agreement among all jurors.
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Yes. The Court unanimously held that state laws banning interracial marriage violate the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses. Every justice joined the opinion, producing a decision reached with complete agreement and no opposing views.
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Cotrustees who cannot reach unanimous agreement may act by majority decision under the Uniform Trust Code. This illustrates an exception to the complete agreement required by 'without dissent.'
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A director may be removed when the number of votes cast to remove exceeds the number cast against removal. The statute measures removal by comparing affirmative and negative votes rather than requiring every shareholder to agree, showing a departure from 'without dissent.'
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…does not begin until live birth. This was the belief of the Stoics.[^maj-56] It appears to be the predominant, though not the unanimous, attitude of the Jewish faith.[^maj-57] It may be taken to represent also the position of a large segment of the Protestant community, insofar as that can be ascertained; organized groups…