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

In Texas, a criminal trial is either a jury trial or a bench trial. A jury trial is when a jury of twelve people are selected to listen to evidence and decide whether a defendant is guilty or not guilty. The jury is also responsible for deciding the sentence the accused will receive. A bench trial, on the other hand, is where there is no jury. Instead, the trial is presided over by a judge, who listens to evidence and decides the outcome of the case. Because there is no jury, bench trials are less formal than jury trials. The main difference between the two is the decision makers. In a jury trial, it is the jury who decides the verdict and sentence, while in a bench trial, it is the judge who makes the decisions. In a jury trial, the judge oversees the proceedings and the jury makes the actual decisions; in a bench trial, the judge is responsible for making all of the decisions. In summary, the difference between a jury trial and a bench trial is the decision makers. In a jury trial, a jury of twelve people listen to evidence and determine the outcome of the case, while in a bench trial a judge oversees the proceedings and makes all of the decisions.

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

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