76 Sanhedrin 5/5 & 6/1-2

(5) If they found him innocent, they dismiss him. If not, they move his judgment to the next day. They would go together, pair by pair; and they would decrease [the amount of] food [they would eat]; and they would drink no wine all day; and they would deliberate all night; and on the morrow, early, they would rise and come to the court. The [judge arguing] to acquit says, "I [argued to] acquit and my [opinion remains] in place"; and the [judge arguing] to convict says, "I [argued to] convict and my [opinion remains] in place." One who has offered an argument to convict may [subsequently] offer an argument to acquit, but one who has offered an argument to acquit may not retract [and subsequently] offer an argument to convict. If they had erred, the two judicial scribes remind them. If they found him innocent, they dismiss him. If not, they stand to vote. [If] twelve acquit and eleven convict, he is acquitted. If twelve convict and eleven acquit; and even if eleven acquit, eleven convict, and one says, "I do not know"; or even if twenty-two acquit or convict and one says "I do not know," they add [more] judges. How many do they add? [They add judges] two at a time until there are seventy-one. [If] thirty-six acquit and thirty-five convict, he is acquitted. [If] thirty-six convict and thirty-five acquit, the judges argue one against another until one [judge] from those who voted to convict is convinced by the words of those who voted to acquit.

(1) Once the verdict is reached, they bring him out to stone him. The stoning area was outside the courthouse, as it says, (Leviticus 24:14) "Bring out he who has cursed." One would stand before the entrance to the courthouse, his scarf in his hand; and another would ride on a horse before them at a distance, in order to see him. [If] one says, "I have an argument for acquittal," then he waves the scarf, and the horse runs to stop him. And even if [the accused] says, "I have an argument for my [own] acquittal," then he is returned; and this may happen even four or five times, so long as there is substance to his words. If he is acquitted, he is dismissed; and if not, he is brought out to be stoned. And an announcer comes out before him and announces, "So-and-so son of so-and-so is being brought out to be stoned for having committed such-and-such transgression, and so-and-so and so-and-so are his witnesses. Anyone who has any knowledge as to his innocence should come and argue for him."

(2) [Once the accused] was about ten cubit from the stoning area, they say to him, "Confess," for such is the way of those sentenced to death to confess, for all who confess have a share in the World to Come. For thus we find with respect to Achan, to whom Joshua said, (Joshua 7:19) "'My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make confession unto Him.'... And Achan answered Joshua, and said: 'Of a truth I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel.'" And from where [do we know] that his confession atoned for him? As it says, (Joshua 7:25), "And Joshua said: 'Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day,'" today you are troubled, but you are not troubled in the World to Come. And if he does not know how to confess, they say to him: "Say, 'May my death serve as an atonement for all my iniquities.'" Rabbi Yehudah says, if he knows he was [convicted by] false testimony, he says, "May my death serve as an atonement for all my iniquities, excepting this iniquity." [The Sages] said to him, if so, all [sentenced to death] will say this in order to cleanse themselves [i.e. clear their name].