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FONT FACE="Verdana, Lucida Sans, Arial, Times New Roman" SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000"> Courtroom Personnel and Terms:
The players: Presiding over the room and trial is the judge. 12 jurors and depending on the size and length of the case, anywhere from 2 to 6 alternate jurors. 1 stenographer, whose job it is to document verbatim all case dialogue. 1 bailiff whose job it is to maintain order in the courtroom and present if necessary, documents or evidence to the judge or jurors. If it's a criminal case there are representatives from the DA's office (District Attorney) usually an ADA (Assistant District Attorney or DDA Deputy District Attorney) who will prosecute on behalf of the state/city or county. The defense attorney is a private attorney hired to get the defendant off. If it is a civil case (no crime committed) then there is a private defense attorney who is hired to defend his client against the prosecuting attorney who is hired by the person who wishes to sue the defendant. In civil as well as criminal trials, the defendant's can agree to no jury and allow the judge to rule
Court appointed attorney: when you can't afford your own, public defender's office.
Court terms:
Double jeopardy--cannot be tried twice for the same crime when a verdict is reached the first time
Conviction-- guilty/innocent
Hung jury--cannot come to a verdict
Mistrial--trial ends on a technicality and can be retried at DA's discretion. Suspect is held in jail until new trail
Acquittal--charges dropped, cannot be retried
Sentence--punishment
Parole--early release from prison. Violation of terms puts you right back inside. Held min of 30 days in county until hearing
The players: Presiding over the room and trial is the judge. 12 jurors and depending on the size and length of the case, anywhere from 2 to 6 alternate jurors. 1 stenographer, whose job it is to document verbatim all case dialogue. 1 bailiff whose job it is to maintain order in the courtroom and present if necessary, documents or evidence to the judge or jurors. If it's a criminal case there are representatives from the DA's office (District Attorney) usually an ADA (Assistant District Attorney or DDA Deputy District Attorney) who will prosecute on behalf of the state/city or county. The defense attorney is a private attorney hired to get the defendant off. If it is a civil case (no crime committed) then there is a private defense attorney who is hired to defend his client against the prosecuting attorney who is hired by the person who wishes to sue the defendant. In civil as well as criminal trials, the defendant's can agree to no jury and allow the judge to rule
Court appointed attorney: when you can't afford your own, public defender's office.
Court terms:
Double jeopardy--cannot be tried twice for the same crime when a verdict is reached the first time
Conviction-- guilty/innocent
Hung jury--cannot come to a verdict
Mistrial--trial ends on a technicality and can be retried at DA's discretion. Suspect is held in jail until new trail
Acquittal--charges dropped, cannot be retried
Sentence--punishment
Parole--early release from prison. Violation of terms puts you right back inside. Held min of 30 days in county until hearing
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