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LSDefine
Simple English definitions for legal terms
bench trial
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A quick definition of bench trial:
A bench trial is when a judge decides the outcome of a case instead of a group of people called a jury. The judge listens to the evidence and decides what the law says about it. In the United States, people usually have the right to a jury trial, but sometimes they can choose to have a bench trial instead. This depends on the rules in each state.
A more thorough explanation:
Bench trial is a type of trial where the judge alone decides the facts of the case and applies the law, without a jury. The term "bench" refers to the judge who presides over the trial.
- John's case was heard in a bench trial, where the judge made the final decision.
- The defendant opted for a bench trial instead of a jury trial.
These examples illustrate how a bench trial works. In the first example, John's case was heard by a judge alone, without a jury. The judge decided the facts of the case and applied the law to make a final decision. In the second example, the defendant chose to have a bench trial instead of a jury trial, meaning that the judge alone would decide the outcome of the case.