This is a Complaint pleading for use in litigation of the title matter. Adapt this form to comply with your facts and circumstances, and with your specific state law. Not recommended for use by non-attorneys.
This is a Complaint pleading for use in litigation of the title matter. Adapt this form to comply with your facts and circumstances, and with your specific state law. Not recommended for use by non-attorneys.
To serve as a Massachusetts juror, you must: Be a citizen of the United States. Be 18 or older. Be a resident of or live in Massachusetts for more than 50% of the year.
Ing to the Supreme Court, the jury-trial right applies only when "serious" offenses are at hand—petty offenses don't invoke it. For purposes of this right, a serious offense is one that carries a potential sentence of more than six months' imprisonment.
Petit juries, also known as trial juries, decide both criminal and civil cases. In a criminal case, a petit jury decides whether the Government has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime as charged.
The only way to be immune to jury duty is to not have a driver's license and not register to vote.
Sometimes, the court system can be frustratingly slow when it comes to finishing up a case. A jury trial demand is simply a request that a date be set for a jury trial. This may galvanize the state into making a better plea offer, or it may be because your sister's attorney feels ready to go to trial on the merits.
Defendants generally trust that a jury will acquit or render a not guilty verdict more often (than a judge). The O.J. trial certainly validated this belief. Both the defendant and the People have the right to a jury trial in misdemeanor and felony trials (California Constitution, Article I, § 16 and Penal Code § 699).
Jury trials provide an opportunity for citizens to participate in the judicial process. Jury trials give citizens on the jury the power to make a decision on the case. People who serve on juries routinely have a greater respect for the system when they leave.
Jury trials are trials that allow juries to make findings of fact and render a verdict for the trial. The judge decides questions of law, including whether particular items of evidence will be presented to the jury. The parties may, however, request a bench trial, where the judge decides issues of fact and law.
Lawyer folk wisdom often points to choosing a jury if a case has emotional appeal, and choosing a judge if a case is complex and based on technical legal questions. Of course, you may end up with a jury trial even if you prefer a judge trial because your adversary may have an independent right to insist on having one.
Under Massachusetts' One Day or One Trial system, trial jurors serve for either 1 day, or the duration of 1 trial if they are impaneled on a case. Most jurors serve for only 1 day, and almost all jurors complete their service within 3 days.