In the United States criminal trials are set in place in order to reprimand those individuals who have committed crimes. There is a large scope of crimes that can be committed, anything from burglary, manslaughter, rape, murder, and various other categories of crimes.

When a crime is committed, it is the job of law enforcement to find the individual or individuals who have committed these crimes. Once the individual is detained, law enforcement can attempt to get a confession out of the individual. Often, those who are considered to be guilty by law enforcement are offered deals by the prosecution in order to get a guilty plea out of the individual. A guilty pleas is an affirmation from the criminal that they have, in fact, committed the crime, and acknowledge that to the legal body.

For those who are guilty of multiple crimes, the guilty plea requires that they acknowledge their guilt with all the crimes they are being charged with. In this case, some of the charges are often lessened if there is a guilty admission.

At the trial, the guilty plea would be made by the defendant through his or her attorney; from there the trial would proceed regarding the facts of the criminal act, and various other aspects. Often prosecution will put out a lightened sentence because of the criminal’s cooperation. Then it is up to the court in order to make the final verdict for the trial. Once the trial is over, and the verdict of guilty has been affirmed, the individual is required to serve their respective sentence.

A continuance can be granted by or called for by a judge regarding a particular trial; in the case of the plaintiff and defendant, both parties can call for a continuance if there are circumstances in which they deem their cases are not ready for trial yet. This can also be called for if a witness or important individual cannot make the trial date at that particular time, and it is essential to have the trial postponed for a short duration of time.

In the case of a judge calling for a continuing of the trial at another date, this can occur because of unforeseeable events that have popped up during the trial period. This can also be called for if there is what is considered to be an excessive amount of media coverage surrounding a particular trial.

Having the trial continued often means that the entire body of the court is given a specific date in which all parties have to return in order to pick up the case. The time frame in which the postponement is granted is dependent upon the reason for which a continued trial is called for. In cases where a momentary event occurs, the trial can be put off for a day or two; in cases where individuals are attempting to gather witnesses, this can push the court continued case back weeks, or possibly months.

However, because of the overuse of continuing cases, there have been laws passed in order to limit the frequency of continuances in the United States; this is to help keep the judicial system running in a quick, effective manner.

Trial by jury, also referred to as jury trial is a type of system in which an individual accused of a crime is brought to trial, in order to decide the guilt or innocence of the individual. In the United States, trial by jury is the preferred method of dealing with criminal trials. A criminal trial is one in which there has been a crime committed; it can be a burglary, murder, abduction, or various other types.

 

 

Before a trial can be put forth, there is a hearing regarding admissible evidence that can be used in the court; if there is sufficient evidence the jury trial can be pushed forward; if no, the trial is thrown out until more evidence is gathered.

 

 

In a jury trial, the defendant enters a plea of either guilty or innocent; the judge is the individual who presides over the court, however, the judge is merely the facilitator there to insure that both parties: the prosecution and the defense, are conducting the proceedings under their legal rights.  

 

 

The power of conviction is in the hands of a jury in a jury trial. 

 

 

The jury is made up of randomly selected individuals that have no connection or vested interest in the case previous to the trial. However, once selected, these individuals must sit throughout the duration of the trial, and make notes of the evidence presented. Once both parties have argued all valid points, and witnesses have testified, the jury makes the final decision regarding guilt or innocence.

 

In the United States, the purpose of trial proceedings is to determine a ruling on a specified case. When a case is introduced to a court, the jury overseeing that case is responsible for determining the ruling on the case. A jury is a body of individuals selected from the general public, to observe the proceedings, listen to testimony, analyze evidence, and rule on the case. 

 

 

After the prosecution and the defense present evidence and argue their case, the jury will take time to deliberate on the proceedings. It will either rule in favor of the defense or the prosecution. Once the jury has reviewed all features of the case, it will deliver its decision to the court. The jury will either find the defendant guilty or not guilty. If the defendant is found guilty, he/she will subsequently be handed an appropriate sentence. 

 

 

In addition to the jury, the judge may also introduce certain rules to court proceedings. For example, the judge who is presiding over a case will rule on any motions that are requested by the prosecution or the defense. For example, if a participating party requests a motion to dismiss evidence or claims, the judge will determine whether or not to approve this motion. 

 

 

Any issues that arise throughout the duration of a trial will be resolved by the judge. If a party is not cooperating, the judge can rule that the party is contempt of the court. In general, a ruling is an official decision made by a court authority. In most instances, it is used to refer to decisions made by a judge or the jury.