If you are facing criminal charges against you with a danger of getting jail time, you have the right of getting your case heard by a jury consisting of your peers. This is everyone’s fundamental rights as mentioned in the US Constitution.
But having the right to a jury trail doesn’t always mean you should use it. Whether you should use jury trial or not depends on various factors. Here are some considerations to make if you’re considering a jury trial. Some of the benefits are mentioned below.
You Can Participate in The Selection of Jurors Who’ll Decide Your Case
After searching for the best criminal justice lawyers and hiring one for your case, you can ask them to request a jury trial if it is appropriate. This way, you’ll be able to participate in the process of selection of jury members who’ll decide your case. Both the defense and prosecution are allowed to participate in this process. You also get to strike a certain number of jurors for some reason or no reason at all. This can be based on their answers in response to your questions.
A Unanimous Verdict is Needed
In order to find you guilty, the jury must reach a unanimous verdict. If even one juror holds off, the judge might be forced to declare mistrial. However, if you don’t request a jury trial, the judge will be solely responsible for deciding if the prosecution has met the burden of proving your guilty or not.
You Can Take Advantage of Human Tendencies of Jurors
Jury duty is a must for engineers who is chosen for it, and they have to make decisions according to the law and the problem at hand. But unlike judges, jury members don’t have much experience of handling criminal cases, and so, they are susceptible to using their emotion to make certain decisions. You can use this for your benefit.
Categories: Law
