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Criminal Trial

After a defendant is formally charged with a crime, the case proceeds to the criminal trial phase (unless the defendant pleads guilty). This begins with jury selection, in which the prosecuting attorney and defense counsel select a jury from the randomly selected jury pool through the process of elimination. Once the jury is set, counsel for the prosecution and defense make their opening statements; present evidence, call witnesses to the stand for testimony and cross-examination, and then make their closing arguments. The jury then deliberates for as long as it takes to reach a verdict. This section covers the basics of criminal trials, including detailed information about the insanity defense.

Learn About Criminal Trial

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