Trial Sequence
Trial Sequence
The following stages of a trial usually occur in jury cases:
- Selection of a jury and juror's oath
- The opening statement of the lawyers
- The plaintiff or the Commonwealth calls witnesses and produces evidence to prove his or her case
- The defendant may call witnesses and produce evidence to disprove the plaintiff's case and to prove the defendant's claims
- Arguments are made by the lawyers on each side
- The Judge will instruct the jury as to the law of the case. Jurors must follow these instructions of law given to them by the Judge in each particular case
- The jury then retires to the jury deliberation room to arrive at a verdict