What to Expect During Your Criminal Trial

Being arrested on criminal charges is no small matter. No matter whether it's a felony or a misdemeanor, the charges can stay on your record for the rest of your life. Plus, if convicted, you could face serious repercussions. From heavy fines to incarceration, your life will be forever altered following a conviction. For that reason, it is extremely important to take your charges seriously. Hiring the right attorney who specializes in criminal law in Austin, TX, is vital. Not only will they help to prepare you for the trial, but they will act as your advocate during the proceedings.

Your attorney will help to advise you following an arrest. You will be required to plead guilty, not guilty, or no contest to the charges. Once your plea has been entered, pretrial motions and hearings will begin. This will all occur before the criminal trial even begins. Following your arraignment, here's what you can expect.

Jury Selection

It is a constitutional right for you to be tried by a jury of your peers. During this time, jury duty requests will be sent to a pool of different individuals. Then, those individuals will convene for selection. During this process, the judge and both the prosecution and defense are allowed to question individual jurors. This process is called voir dire.  It helps to determine whether or not a juror possesses a certain bias or prejudice that would keep them from forming an unbiased verdict of the case. If there are circumstances that would impede an individual from being impartial, they are excused from duty.

Opening Statements

Once a jury has been selected, the trial begins. To start, each side will present opening statements. During this time, both the prosecution and the defense will outline their argument for the case. They will not be presenting evidence or trying to prove your guilt or innocence. Instead, it is an overview of what the jury can expect.

Evidence and Witnesses

Following the opening statements, the prosecution will begin the presentation of evidence and witnesses. After each witness is presented and questioned by the prosecution, the defense will have an opportunity to cross examine, or question them again. Once the prosecution is finished, it is the defense attorney's turn. If any evidence, documents, weapons, or photographs need to be presented to the jury and judge, they will be done during this time as well.

Closing Arguments

Once each side has finished presenting their arguments, they will rest their case. Then, they will summarize the evidence they have presented and leave the jury with final thoughts as to why the defendant is guilty or not. This will be the last time that the attorneys are allowed to speak to the jury before deliberations

Jury Instruction

Once closing arguments have occurred, the judge will read a set of instructions to the jury. They will be required to form a verdict as to whether or not you are guilty. After the judge reads them instructions, they will be dismissed to deliberate.

Deliberations

During the jury deliberation, the jury will review all aspects of the case together. It is their job to elect a man or woman to act as the foreperson for the jury. This person will oversee that all discussions are kept civil and that each person has an opportunity to participate and be heard. If any questions are presented, they can be delivered to the judge and answered. In order for a verdict to be reached in most criminal cases, the jury members must be unanimous in their decision.

Verdict and Aftermath

Once a verdict has been decided, it will be read in the courtroom by the judge. If you are found guilty, you will be held in custody until your sentencing hearing. If you are found not guilty, you will be released and the charges will be dropped.

Don't try to navigate through these legal waters alone. Instead, hire a professional who understands criminal law in Austin, TX. Your future might just depend on it. 

Source : articlesbase.com