The Taft Court ruled in Patton v. New York (1930) that a criminal defendant can waive his or her right to a jury of twelve members when one of the jurors involved in the case becomes sick and is unable to continue. However, the Court reiterated in strong language that a jury should be composed of twelve members absent highly unusual circumstances: “A constitutional jury means twelve men as though that number had been specifically named; and it follows that, when reduced to eleven, it ceases to be such a jury quite as effectively as though the number had been reduced to a single person.”