All prospective jurors will take an oath and/or agree to answer questions the Judge and the attorneys will ask. The questions asked will be used to determine if it might be difficult for certain jurors to remain impartial during trial. Please be truthful. You will be given a description of the case and the opportunity to tell the Court about anything that might impact your ability to be a juror.
Opening Statements
Opening statements are made by the attorneys of each party, starting with the prosecution/plaintiff. This is where both sides will introduce the case and provide and overview to the Judge and jury about what they can expect to hear during the trial.
Evidence and Witness Testimony
The prosecution/plaintiff’s case is presented first, and the defense’s follows. Each side may call witnesses to the stand and ask questions of their own witnesses through direct-examination. An attorney from the other side may also ask questions through cross-examination. Evidence may be admitted to the Court as part of the prosecution/plaintiff or defense’s cases, such as documents and photographs
Attorneys may object to questions during direct and cross-examination, as well as to the admission of certain pieces of evidence. Objection argument are made to the Judge and are questions of legal technicalities. The Judge will instruct you, if needed, to disregard specific pieces of information based on the outcome of objection arguments. Whether the Judge overrules and objection does not mean he or she favors one side over the other. The Judge’s rulings on objections reflects how he or she is applying the law in regards to which questions and pieces of evidence are permissible in Court.
Closing Arguments
Closing arguments are made by each party, and both sides summarize the cases they made in Court to persuade the jury to rule in favor of their party. The prosecution/plaintiff has the opportunity to open and end closing arguments because they bear the burden of proof.
Charging the Jury
When charging the Jury, the Judge gives instructions to the jury on how to reach a verdict. This is where the Judge explains the law and how it is applied. The Judge will also define the issues to decide.
Jury Deliberation
After the attorneys make closing arguments and the Judge charges the jury, jurors go to the deliberation room to discuss the facts of the case and the evidence presented in Court. This is when the jury decides on a verdict. Before beginning deliberation, the jury will elect a foreperson to lead an orderly discussion about the trial. The foreperson will ensure each juror has an opportunity to participate and all issues brought up in trial are thoroughly covered.
Verdict Announcement
Once the jury decides on a verdict, the jurors must notify the bailiff. The Judge will then read the verdict in the Courtroom, and the Jurors will be dismissed.
