When it comes it comes to criminal trials there are often two parties present. There is the plaintiff, who can often be backed by law enforcement and then there is the defendant side; this is the side where the accused individual or people are found.

 

 

In the United States, one of the most common phrases used regarding criminal law is “innocent until proven guilty”; what this means is that before and while an individual is on trial, they are still considered to be innocent; the statements made against these individuals are allegations, and not yet deemed factual.

 

 

When court is in session both the prosecutor and the attorney will take turns questioning witnesses, the accused, and whoever they deem necessary in order to prove their cases. At this point the defendant is presumed innocent by the court of law, and it is the job of the prosecution to use the evidence that they have against the individual in order to prove guilt. Innocence is one of the rights the United States has guaranteed to the citizens, until a trial by jury is conducted.

 

 

Once a trial has been followed through in its entirety, the jury makes the decided vote regarding the innocence of the accused. If the jury finds insufficient evidence has been presented against the defendant, they can vote for a verdict of not guilty. Once the verdict has been handed out, the defendant can remain presumed innocent, and be released from the court, regarding the charges he or she had been affixed with.

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.

 

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.