Anatomy of a Criminal Trial
What to expect in Zimmerman's June 10 trial.
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Understanding the Process - On June 10, after more than a year of court hearings, George Zimmerman will face a judge and jury over second degree murder charges in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Ahead of the trial, BET.com gives you a primer from the American Bar Association (ABA) on what the trial will entail. — Britt Middleton (Photo: Joe Burbank - Pool/Getty Images)
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Officers of the Court - The officers of the court are as follows: the judge (presides over the court room); court clerk (administers the oath to prospective jurors and witnesses and handles administrative aspects of a trial); bailiff (keeps order in the courtroom, calls the witnesses and is in charge of the jury) court reporter (records verbatim everything said in the court room); lawyers (represents their clients within the formal rules of the Code of Professional Conduct). (Photo: Roberto Gonzalez/Getty Images)
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Opening Statements - This is where prosecutors and the defense tell jurors about the case they will be hearing. The statements must be grounded in fact supported by evidence. In a criminal trial, the burden of proof rests with the prosecution, which must prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the defendant is guilty. (Photo: Getty Images)
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Evidence - The American Bar Association calls evidence the "heart" of the case. In trial, evidence can be direct evidence (eyewitness accounts, a confession or a weapon) or circumstantial evidence (the appearance of the scene of a crime, testimony that suggests a connection or link with a crime, physical evidence that suggests criminal activity). (Photo: Frances Twitty/Getty Images)
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Direct Examination - In a criminal trial, the prosecution presents its evidence before the defense presents theirs. Prosecutors will call witnesses and ask them a series of questions, a process known as direct examination. The witness' testimony may elicit both direct and circumstantial evidence, speak to matters of fact or in some cases provide opinions. They may also be called to identify documents or other items introduced as evidence. (Photo: Getty Images)
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Cross Examination - The purpose of cross-examination is to test the credibility of statements made during direct examination. After the prosecutor has finished his or her line of questioning, the lawyer representing the defendant can then question the witness. (Photo: Getty Images)
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Motion for Directed Verdict/Dismissal - After the prosecution has concluded its evidence presentation, the defendant's lawyer can ask for a motion to dismiss the charges by arguing that the government has failed to prove its case. If granted, the case is over and the defendant wins. If the motion is denied (typical in criminal trials), the defense then has the opportunity to present its evidence. (Photo: Yellow Dog Productions/Getty Images)
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Presentation of Evidence By the Defense - Since the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects against self-incrimination, the prosecution cannot require the defendant to take the stand for testimony and cannot speculate as to why the defendant isn’t testifying. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
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Rebuttal - After the defense has presented its side, the prosecution can present rebuttal witnesses or evidence to refute evidence presented by the defense. This is limited to only evidence not presented in the case initially or a new witness who contradicts the defendant's witnesses. (Photo: Spencer Weiner-Pool/Getty Images)
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Final Motions - Once all evidence has been presented, the jury leaves the court room to deliberate. Either side in the case may ask the judge for a directed verdict. If granted, the trial is over; if not, the presentation of evidence is complete and the case is ready to be submitted to the jury.(Photo: Dennis Brack /Landov)
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Closing Arguments - In closing arguments, lawyers from both sides summarize the evidence and provide commentary supporting their case to the jury. The lawyers may not discuss issues outside the case or about evidence that was not presented. (Photo: Fuse/Getty Images)
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Instructions to the Jury - The judge will then instruct the jury about relevant laws that should guide its deliberations, state the issues in the case and define any terms or words that may be unfamiliar and discuss the standard of proof that jurors should apply to the case (“beyond a reasonable doubt” in a criminal cases). (Photo: Rich Legg/Getty Images)
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Mistrials - A mistrial is a trial that is terminated before the jury returns a verdict or the judge renders his decision in a nonjury trial, meaning the trial has no legal effect on either party. A judge may declare a mistrial for many reasons, such as the discovery of a fundamental error so prejudicial to the defendant that it cannot be remedied by appropriate instructions to the jury (such as the inclusion of highly improper remarks in the prosecutor's closing arguments). A jury that is hopelessly deadlocked and unable to reach a verdict is common circumstance for mistrials. (Photo: Cristian Baitg/ Getty Images)
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Verdict and Motions - After deliberating, the jury returns to the courtroom. A jury representative (foreperson) or court clerk will announce the verdict of either “guilty” or “not guilty." After the decision is read and accepted by the court, the jury is dismissed, and the trial is over. There are motions that either side may present to the judge following the verdict requesting judgment not to be enforced or request for a new trial. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Judgment and Sentencing - The verdict does not go into effect until the judge enters a judgment on the decision (an order filed into public records). The ABA notes that in in criminal cases, and in most jurisdictions, the judge generally has no authority to modify the verdict, and he or she must accept it or reject it. The judge will then announce a sentencing date if the defendant has been convicted. (Photo: Gary Green/The Orlando Sentinel-Pool/Getty Images)