Sanhedrin 32A

מתני׳ אחד דיני ממונות ואחד דיני נפשות בדרישה ובחקירה, שנאמר: ״משפט אחד יהיה לכם״.

Mishnah: Both cases of monetary law and cases of capital law are equal with regard to the requirement for inquiry and interrogation of the witnesses, as it is stated: “You should have one manner of law” (Leviticus 24:22), meaning that all legal procedures must be uniform.

מה בין דיני ממונות לדיני נפשות? דיני ממונות ⁠– בשלשה, ודיני נפשות ⁠– בעשרים ושלשה. דיני ממונות ⁠– פותחין בין לזכות בין לחובה, ודיני נפשות ⁠– פותחין לזכות ואין פותחין לחובה.

Having stated the essential similarity between the two, the Mishnah enumerates the differences between them. What are the differences between cases of monetary law and cases of capital law? Cases of monetary law are judged by a court of 3 judges, and cases of capital law are judged by a court of 23 judges. In cases of monetary law, the court opens the deliberations either with a claim to exempt the accused, or with a claim to find him liable. And in cases of capital law, the court opens the deliberations with a claim to acquit the accused, but it does not open the deliberations with a claim to find him liable.

דיני ממונות ⁠– מטין על פי אחד, בין לזכות בין לחובה, ודיני נפשות ⁠– מטין על פי אחד לזכות, ועל פי שנים לחובה.

In cases of monetary law, the court directs, i.e., issues, the ruling based on a majority of one judge, either to exempt, or to find liable. But in cases of capital law, the court directs the judgment based on a majority of one judge to acquit and based on a majority of two judges to find liable.

דיני ממונות ⁠– מחזירין בין לזכות בין לחובה, דיני נפשות ⁠– מחזירין לזכות ואין מחזירין לחובה.

In cases of monetary law, the court brings the accused back to be judged again if new evidence arises, either with a claim to exempt the accused, or with a claim to find him liable. In cases of capital law, the court brings the accused back to be judged again with a claim to acquit him, but the court does not bring him back to be judged with a claim to find him liable.