List and define four of the different stages of a criminal trial. Explain the importance of each step and list them in the order that they occur

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

1) Trial initiation- The U.S. Constitution contains a speedy trial provision in its Sixth Amendment, which guarantees that "[i]n all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial."
2)Jury selection - The process whereby, according to law and precedent, members of a trial jury are chosen.
3)Opening statements - The initial statement of the prosecutor or the defense attorney, made in a court of law to a judge or jury, describing the facts that he or she intends to present during trial to prove the case.
4) Presentation of evidence - The crux of the criminal trial is the presentation of evidence.
First, the state is given the opportunity to present evidence intended to prove the defendant's guilt. After prosecutors have rested their case, the defense is afforded the opportunity to provide evidence favorable to the defendant.
5)Closing arguments - An oral summation of a case presented to a judge, or to a judge and jury, by the prosecution or by the defense in a criminal trial.
6) Judge's charge to the jury - The judge charges the jury to "retire," select one of its number as a foreman, and deliberate on the evidence that has been presented until it has reached a verdict.
7) Jury deliberations and verdict -In cases in which the evidence is either very clear or very weak, jury deliberations may be brief, lasting only a matter of hours or even minutes. Some juries, however, deliberate days or sometimes weeks, carefully weighing all the nuances of the evidence they have seen and heard. Many jurisdictions require that juries reach a unanimous verdict, although the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that unanimous verdicts are not required in noncapital cases.