Trial | USAO | Department of Justice

The trial is a structured process where the facts of a case are presented to a jury, and they decide if the defendant is guilty or not guilty of the charge ... Skiptomaincontent USAOSecondaryHeader YouarehereU.S.Attorneys»Justice101 Trial Trial Aftermanyweeksormonthsofpreparation,theprosecutorisreadyforthemostimportantpartofhisjob:thetrial.Thetrialisastructuredprocesswherethefactsofacasearepresentedtoajury,andtheydecideifthedefendantisguiltyornotguiltyofthechargeoffered.Duringtrial,theprosecutoruseswitnessesandevidencetoprovetothejurythatthedefendantcommittedthecrime(s).Thedefendant,representedbyanattorney,alsotellshissideofthestoryusingwitnessesandevidence. Inatrial,thejudge—theimpartialpersoninchargeofthetrial—decideswhatevidencecanbeshowntothejury.Ajudgeissimilartoarefereeinagame,theyarenottheretoplayforonesideortheotherbuttomakesuretheentireprocessisplayedfairly. JurySelection Attrial,oneofthefirstthingsaprosecutoranddefenseattorneymustdoistheselectionofjurorsforthecase.Jurorsareselectedtolistentothefactsofthecaseandtodetermineifthedefendantcommittedthecrime.Twelvejurorsareselectedrandomlyfromthejurypool(alsocalledthe“venire”),alistofpotentialjurorscompiledfromvoterregistrationrecordsofpeoplelivingintheFederaldistrict. Whenselectingthejury,theprosecutoranddefenseattorneymaynotdiscriminateagainstanygroupofpeople.Forexample,thejudgewillnotallowthemtoselectonlymenoronlywomen.Ajuryshouldrepresentalltypesofpeople,races,andcultures.Bothlawyersareallowedtoaskquestionsabouttheirpotentialbiasesandmayexcusejurorsfromservice.Eachsideisallowedtoexcusecertainpotentialjurorswithoutprovidingareasonbyusingalimitednumberof“peremptorychallenges.” OpeningStatements Openingstatementsallowtheprosecutorandthedefenseattorneytobrieflytelltheiraccountoftheevents.Thesestatementsusuallyareshortlikeanoutlineanddonotinvolvewitnessesorevidence.TheprosecutormakesanopeningstatementfirstbecausetheGovernmenthastheburdenofprovingthatthedefendantcommittedthecrime. PresentmentofCases WitnessExamination Followingopeningstatements,theprosecutorbeginsdirectexaminationofhisfirstwitness.Thisistheprosecutor’sinitialstepinattemptingtoprovethecase,anditcanlastfromafewminutestoseveraldays.Duringdirectexamination,theprosecutorcanintroduceevidencesuchasaweaponorsomethingfromthecrimescene. Followingtheprosecutor’sexaminationofawitness,thedefenseattorneyhasanopportunitytocrossexamineoraskquestionstothesamewitness.Thepurposeofcrossexaminationistocreatedoubtastothecredibilityofthewitness. Afterthedefenseattorneycrossexaminesthewitness,theprosecutorasksthewitnessfinalquestionstoclarifyanyconfusingtestimonyforthejury.Thisiscalledredirectexamination.Oncetheprocessofdirectexamination,crossexamination,andredirectofallthewitnessesiscomplete,theprosecutorrestshiscase.Aftertheprosecutorrests,nomorewitnessescanbecalledtothestandorevidenceintroducedbythegovernment. AftertheGovernmentrests,thedefensehastheopportunitytopresentwitnessesandevidencetothejury.Thedefensealsohastheoptionofnothavingthedefendanttestify.Thereisnoburdenuponthedefendanttoprovethattheyareinnocent.Itisthegovernment'sresponsibilitytoprovethedefendantcommittedthecrimeasdetailedintheindictment.Thefactthatadefendantdidnottestifymaynotbeconsideredbythejuryasproofthatthedefendantcommittedthecrime.Thedefensemayalsowaivehiscase.Ifthedefensedoesnotputonanyevidence,thejurycannotassumethatthedefendantisguiltysimplybecausetheydidnotputonadefense.Thedecisiontoputonadefenseissolelyuptothedefendantandthedefenseattorney.However,thedefensewillusuallypresentitsownversionofthecase. Objections Duringdirectorcrossexamination,eitherattorneycanmakeanobjectiontoaquestionorapieceofevidencetothejudge.Forexample,aprosecutorordefenseattorneymayobjecttothewiderangeofthedirectexaminationbecauseitisbeyondtheknowledgeofthewitness,theattorneymaybearguingwiththewitnessratherthanaskingquestions,orthewitnessmaybetalkingaboutthingsirrelevanttothecase. Commonobjectionsinclude: Hearsay–Statementbyawitnesswhodidnotseeorheartheincidentinquestionbutlearnedaboutitthroughsecondhandinformationsuchasanother’sstatement,anewspaper,oradocument. Relevance–Testimonyandevidencepresentedattrialmustberelevanttothecase. Thejudgedecidestheoutcomeofanobjection,sometimesafterallowingattorneysonbothsidestocommentbeforemakingaruling.Thejudgeeither“sustains”theobjectionsothattheactionstops,orthey“overrule”theobjectionandallowstheactiontocontinue. ClosingArguments Afterthedefense’sdirecttestimonyandcrossexaminationbytheprosecutorofallthewitnesses,thedefenserests,andtheprosecutoranddefenseattorneyprepareforclosingarguments. Closingargumentsarethefinalopportunityfortheprosecutorandthedefenseattorneytotalktothejury.Theseargumentsallowbothattorneystosummarizethetestimonyandevidence,andaskthejurytoreturnaverdictofguiltyornotguilty. JuryInstructions Followingtheclosingarguments,thejudge“chargesthejury,”orinformsthemoftheappropriatelawandofwhattheymustdotoreachaverdict. JuryDeliberations&AnnouncementoftheVerdict Afterbeingcharged,thejurygoesintodeliberation,theprocessofdecidingwhetheradefendantisguiltyornotguilty.Duringthisprocess,nooneassociatedwiththetrialcancontactthejurywithoutthejudgesandlawyers.Ifthejuryhasaquestiononthelaw,theymustwriteanotetothejudge,whichthejudgewillreadincourtwithallpartiespresent.Infederalcriminaltrials,thejurymustreachaunanimousdecisioninordertoconvictthedefendant. Aftertheyreachanagreementonaverdict,theynotifythejudge,thelawyers,andthedefendantinopencourt.Everyoneispresentincourtforthereadingoftheverdict.TheUnitedStatesMarshalsServiceispresentduringtrialtoprotectthejudgeandprosecutorsfrompotentialharm.Ifthedefendantisfoundnotguilty,theyareusuallyfreetogohome.   LEGALTERMSGLOSSARY CRIMINALJUSTICESTEPS Investigation Charging InitialHearing/Arraignment Discovery PleaBargaining PreliminaryHearing Pre-TrialMotions Trial Post-TrialMotions Sentencing Appeal COURTROOMIMAGES FEDERALCOURTSYSTEM FAQ Wasthispagehelpful? Wasthispagehelpful? Yes No Thankyouforyourinput. ContacttheWebmastertosubmitcomments.