Bench Trial Definition Law

A trial in which there is no jury and the judge decides the case compare jury trial.

Bench trial definition law. Copyright 2008 the gale group inc. The rules of evidence and procedural methods are the same in both. The judge still rules on issues of evidence and testimony allowed in trial and procedural issues but he or she also views the evidence and hears testimony.

Law dictionary alternative legal definition. Whereas in a jury trial questions of facts are determined by the jury and only questions of law is decided by the judge. The bench refers to the comfortable bench or usually a chair where the judge sits in court during a hearing or trial.

A bench trial sometimes referred to as a court trial is held before only a judge with no jury involved at all. Unlike a jury trial in which you cannot be certain about the dynamics of the jury or the outcome of a trial a bench trial presents the parties with a unique ability to peek behind the curtain. A bench trial is a trial by judge as opposed to a trial by jury.

Typically referring to the judge when using this word for example a bench trial which means a trial before a judge and not a jury. A jury trial is a trial before a jury of 6 or 12 people who after hearing the evidence and legal arguments decide whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty of the charges against him. Jury trials are used in a significant share of serious criminal cases in many but not all common law judicial systems.

In such trials the judge decides both questions of facts and questions of law. West s encyclopedia of american law edition 2. It is distinguished from a bench trial in which a judge or panel of judges makes all decisions.

The latest decisions rendered by a judge are a roadmap to your success. Many legal systems roman islamic use bench trials for most or all cases or for certain types of cases. Trial by jury is a constitutional right under article three of the us constitution.