What is the difference between a jury trial and a bench trial?

A jury trial and a bench trial are both proceedings in a court of law, but they have very different processes. In a jury trial, a jury of 12 individuals decide the outcome of the case based on the facts presented in court. The jury is selected from the qualified citizens of the county where the case is being tried. During the jury selection process, lawyers for both parties can reject potential jurors, and the judge must approve the jury before the trial begins. In a bench trial, the judge is the only decision-maker. The judge hears the evidence presented in court and makes a decision based on the law and the facts of the case. In a bench trial, the judge is the one who decides if the case should go to a jury trial or not. Overall, the difference between a jury trial and a bench trial is that the decision-maker in a jury trial is a group of people, and the decision-maker in a bench trial is a single judge. The jury is selected from the community while the judge is appointed or elected to serve. The jury is made up of individuals who have no prior knowledge of the case, while the judge is an expert in the law and has the responsibility of making a fair and impartial decision.

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