What You Need To Know About A Bench Trial
If you are filing a lawsuit, you might wonder if you will present the case in front of a jury. In some cases you will have a full jury that decides your case, and in other situations you will only have a judge. This is called a bench trial, compared to a jury. Here are the things you need to know about a bench trial.
What Is A Bench Trial?
A bench trial is when the lawyers only have to present the evidence to a judge and not a whole jury. The judge will decide the merit of each piece of evidence and will listen to all of the testimony. The judge will also be the one to over-rule and sustain objections and the manner in which the lawyers fight the case. This means that they have a lot of control when it comes to the information on the trial.
What Are The Advantages Of A Bench Trial?
Many people choose to have a bench trial because there are some great advantages. Bench trials tend to move much faster than a full jury. This is for a couple reasons. First, you don't have to go through the whole process of selecting a jury. Second, there are no deliberations where the jury has to decide if the individual is guilty or award damages. In most cases it can be hard to get all of the jurors to agree, so it takes a long time to get the verdict. A judge will decide quickly.
If the information of the trial is complex, you might do better with a bench trial. Explaining everything to a jury and trying to help them understand the complex details of a case might be impossible in some cases. In these situations you should try to get a bench trial.
How Do You Get A Bench Trial?
When you talk to your lawyer, let them know if you'd prefer a bench trial. At the beginning of the trial you will need to request that it be a bench trial. You will have to get the approval of both the other legal party and the judge. If there are extenuating circumstances, such as a high profile murder or a civil case with exceptionally large damages, the other party may want a full jury. However, you can request a bench trial in any case, and the judge will decide if that is the best solution.
Contact a law firm, such as Watson Law Firm, to find a lawyer who can help you decide if a bench trial is best for your case.
