All legal processes take a lot of time to go through. Even simple things like starting a case can take a really long time as a car accident lawyer can attest. One of the most commonly known legal processes is trial. Being tried in a court of law has many steps, but in this article we will just discuss the in court trial process. There are many important steps to an in court trial and each of them insure that everyone gets a fair and speedy trial. It may seem complicated, but these four steps are actually very simple.
The Start Of The Trial
First, once the judge has announced that the trial can start, the plaintiff’s attorney will rise and deliver their opening statement to the jury. An opening statement consists of a brief overview of the events of the case, an overview of all of the witnesses involved and those who are going to give statements during the trial, and will also include why the jury should rule in the plaintiff’s favor at the end of the trial. After the plaintiff finishes their opening statement, the defense will rise and give their opening. They too will summarize the case, the witnesses who are going to be giving statements, and include why the jury should rule in the defense’s favor. After both parties have given their respective statements, the questioning can begin.
Questioning has a lot of steps in itself. Questioning is crucial because it is basically the attorney’s using witnesses to retell the story to the jury as our friends at Brandy Austin Law Firm can explain. First will come the plaintiff’s witnesses. The attorney will call in their witness and then the witness will be sworn in. This is done to ensure that all things said in the court are truthful and not fabricated. After the plaintiff witness is sworn in, direct examination starts. Plaintiff direct examination is always carried out by the plaintiff attorney. It will consist of a series of open ended questions that will tell a story to the jury. Once plaintiff direct examination of one witness is complete, the defense can cross examine that witness. Cross examination consists of yes or no questions to prove a claim wrong or change the jury’s understanding of the events. In some cases, with judges approval, re cross and re direct are allowed just in case the attorneys have any more questions. After each side questions all the witnesses, questioning is completed.
The End Of The Trial
At this point, we are reaching the end of the trial and the jury has already started to concoct a verdict in their minds. Now it is time for the closing statement. Closing statements, like openings, are given by both parties to the jury. First the plaintiff’s attorney will deliver their closing statement and then the defense will deliver theirs. Closing statements consist of an overview of the case, the trial, and the witness
statements, But closing statements are different because they also include an emotional aspect. A closing is the last chance for attorneys to really convince the jury to decide in their favor. Attorney’s will try to tug at the jurors heartstrings and get them to decide for their side.
Finally, the jury will decide on their verdict. This can take hours up to days. The jurors are not allowed to let outside people’s opinions or social media sway them. They must come up with a unanimous verdict based off of the opening, cloning, and questioning during the trial. This can be a very nerve racking time for everyone involved because it is the deciding factor of the case. After the jury has reached a unanimous verdict, they will select a foreperson to announce it to the court. Then, the trial is over.
The trial process might seem excessive, but everyone gets the right to the full trial process by the sixth amendment, which states that everyone has the right to a speedy trial in front of impartial jurors. If you have a case, get started now with a lawyer near you.
