The Criminal Trial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Criminal Trial - Essay Example When the trial begins, the prosecution and the defense make their opening statements to the jury. The purpose of these statements are to â€Å"provide an outline of the case that each side expects to prove (Bergman & Barrett, 2009).† The statements only include what the attorneys know that they can present to the jury. The prosecutor then presents its principal case by means of direct examination of prosecution witnesses by the prosecutor themselves. At this time, the defense is allowed to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses; the prosecution is then allowed to re-examine its witnesses. After this procedure, the prosecution is done with presenting their case. The defense is then given the chance to dismiss the charges if they feel that the prosecution failed at providing enough relevant evidence to support a guilty verdict for the person being charged. The judge denies the motion to dismiss, an act that is rare but still seen. It is now the defense’s turn to present their case through means of direct examination of the defense witnesses. The prosecutor is given the opportunity to cross-examine the defense witnesses, followed by a re-examination of the defense witnesses. The defense is then finished presenting their case. The prosecution gives its closing argument, â€Å"summarizing the evidence as the prosecution sees it and explaining why the jury should render a guilty verdict (Neubauer, 2010).† The defense makes a similar closing argument, though they explain to the jury why they should not render a guilty verdict, or, at the very least, declare a guilty verdict on a lesser charge, known as a plea bargain. The prosecution is offered a final closing argument if they wish to argue their plausible evidence that supports a guilty verdict. The jury is given instructions by the judge on what law to apply to the case and how they should carry out their duties. The jury deliberates and attempts to reach a verdict; in most cases, a unanimous agreement