A murder trial is one of the most serious legal proceedings that a criminal defendant can face. In a murder trial, the jury will decide whether or not the accused is guilty of a crime and can determine if the person should receive a sentence of death (by lethal injection) or life in prison without the possibility of parole. If the person is found not guilty, they are acquitted and can never be tried again for that same charge.
Before a trial begins, the prosecution and defense must select a jury to hear their case. The judge, prosecutor, and the defense attorney ask potential jurors questions to see if they can be fair and unbiased in their judgment. A total of 12 people will be selected, including alternates in case a juror needs to leave the trial for any reason.
During opening statements, both the prosecutor and the defense have an opportunity to briefly tell their account of the facts in the case. They do not call witnesses or present evidence at this point. After the prosecution presents their opening statement, the defense attorney has an opportunity to question the prosecution’s witnesses on direct examination. This allows the defense to try to create doubt in the jury’s mind about the credibility of the witness.
Then, the defense can call its own witnesses and produce its own evidence. The prosecution may then call rebuttal witnesses to respond to what the defense witnesses have said. Both sides then make closing arguments to the jury. The judge will then instruct the jury on the law, so they understand what is expected of them in deciding the case. The jury then retires to deliberate and comes back with a decision, which is called a verdict.