Jury Trial Analysis
Fenisa Robinson
CJA-364
October 1, 2012
John Huskey Jury Trial Analysis
In the United States of America, the criminal justice system is based on the adversarial system or common law system. An adversarial trial allows the accused or defendant to be given a fair chance to prove his or her innocence. The Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution states that the defendant is to be given a fair chance to oppose the prosecution, have witnesses to help with his or her defense, face and question the complainant, and for his or her case to be heard by a group of people who are unbiased and impartial. This group is known as the trial jury.
Jury Selection. To start the process of jury selection, a group of …show more content…
Closing Arguments. Closing arguments are made by both sides; defense and prosecution. First the defense attorney will address the jury and affirm his or her position in the case by restating the facts of the case as he or she believes shows reasonable doubt. This helps to paint a mental picture of how the defense sees the case. After the defense has finished with his or her closing statement, it is the prosecutor’s turn to state his or her position with closing arguments. The closing arguments of the prosecution will attempt to persuade the jury to see beyond a reasonable doubt the defendant did, in fact, commit the crime. Once both sides have completed their closing statements, the judge directs his or her attention to the jury to clarify the meaning of the charges, evidential guidelines, and which verdicts will apply to the case.
Jury Deliberations and Verdict. The moment after he judge has instructed the jury, the jury will leave the courtroom and deliberate in a private setting. During this time the jury will reflect on the testimony heard in the courtroom and ponder over the evidence to help them make the best decision about the verdict. Whether they choose the verdict of guilty or not guilty, the decision must be unanimous. After reaching a verdict, the jurors will come back to the courtroom and announces the verdict. In the event the jury cannot come to a consensus; the