Judicial clerks administer oaths, vote on juries, and maintain custody of evidence. Judges preside over the courtroom, decide questions of law and ensure that. The judge presides over the trial from a desk, called a bench, on an elevated platform. The judge has five basic tasks. The first is simply to preside over the procedure and ensure that order is maintained.
The second is to determine if any of the evidence that the parties want to use is illegal or improper. Third, before the jury begins deliberating on the facts of the case, the judge gives him instructions about the law that applies to the case and the rules he must use to decide the case. Fourth, in non-jury trials, the judge must also determine the facts and decide the case. The fifth is to sentence convicted criminal defendants. Attorneys for each side will be seated at the lawyers' tables in front of the stand or will speak to the judge, a witness, or the jury.
The task of every lawyer is to bring to light the facts that put their client's case in the most favorable light, but to do so using approved legal procedures. In criminal cases, one of the lawyers works for the executive branch of the government, which is the power that prosecutes cases on behalf of the company. In federal criminal cases, that attorney is the U.S. attorney.
UU. On relatively rare occasions, defendants in criminal cases or parties in civil cases attempt to present their cases themselves, without recourse to an attorney. Parties acting in their own name are said to act pro se, a Latin phrase meaning “in their own name”. The parties may or may not be present at the lawyers' tables with their attorneys. Defendants in criminal cases have a constitutional right to be present.
The parties in civil cases can be present if they want to, but they are often absent. Witnesses testify about the facts of the case that are in dispute. During their testimony, they sit on the witness stand, in front of the courtroom. Because one or the other party asks witnesses to testify, they are often referred to as plaintiff's witnesses, government witnesses, or defense witnesses. The court's alternate, who is usually seated close to the judge, takes an oath to witnesses, marks the evidence, and usually helps the judge to make the trial run smoothly.
The federal judge presiding over the courtroom may be an Article III judge or a trial judge, depending on the type of case. The judge decides on the legal issues that arise in the trial. The judge decides on the verdict if it is a trial without a jury. District judges determine the appropriate punishment and convict those convicted of crimes. Visit the Student Center page on federal judges for more information.
With only a few exceptions, all hearings and trials are open to the public. We invite you to observe at almost any time. This person ensures that everything in the courtroom is in place and that the trial goes smoothly and as planned. The secretary swears in any person who must take an oath before testifying. The clerk also takes care of the members of the jury, ensuring that they can move from one place to another within the courtroom and acts as a messenger if the jury has questions to ask the judge during the deliberation.
The clerk is in charge of all forms, documents and evidence that may be needed during a hearing or trial. Each district has a supervising court clerk, who then has one or more assistant clerks who help with case management and courtroom duties. The secretary works for the government's judiciary. Because what happens in the courtroom may affect the parties for years to come, everyone involved must be able to hear and understand the process.
The court interpreter may be present in the courtroom or may interpret over the phone. The court interpreter must swear to accurately interpret everything that is said. Most courts hire interpreters as needed. Investigating and probation officers help judges gather specific information about defendants in criminal cases.
Both interview the defendant and also investigate his background and lifestyle. They use what they learn to prepare reports for the judge. The pre-trial services officer helps the judge decide whether or not to release the defendant on bail until trial, and to establish the conditions that the defendant must meet while waiting to appear in court. The investigating officer monitors defendants who live in the community and helps them with services such as job placement and drug addiction treatment.
If, after the trial or a plea agreement, the defendant is found guilty of the crime, the U.S. probation officer investigates and prepares a pre-sentencing report. The judge uses this report to determine the punishment for the crime. The probation officer and the judge use the U.S.
Sentencing guidelines, and consider other factors, to determine the appropriate sentence for each situation and individual person. If the judge sentences the defendant to probation or to a jail sentence followed by supervised release, the probation officer monitors the defendant in the community. The probation officer also provides rehabilitation assistance, which may include treatment related to drug or alcohol use, help obtaining a GED, or job training. Once this important point is made, the judge is there to award and administer justice as defined by U.S.
law, both local and federal. In criminal cases, the jury decides if the defendant is guilty and the judge sentences him using established sentencing guidelines. In a civil case, the judge determines the defendant's liability. The sheriff provides security to the court, patrols the inside and outside of the room, and escorts court employees, including the judge.
The sheriff is also responsible for maintaining order in court and for preventing the jury from manipulating for external contact. The court stenographer, also known as the court stenographer, records verbatim everything that is said in court. They play the same role in legislative assemblies and in committee meetings. The prosecutor represents the local, state, or federal jurisdiction bringing the case against an organization or individual.
They state the case of that jurisdiction and attempt to prove that the changed person, group, or corporation has committed a crime or a civil offense. The legal assistant acts as an assistant to prosecutors when preparing documents, conducting investigations, conducting interviews, and investigating stated facts. The prison officer is responsible for transporting prisoners to and from the courtroom, for ensuring that they behave in a civilized manner within the room, and for ensuring the inmate's safety. The defense attorney acts on behalf of the defendant, whether a natural or legal person, and advises clients on their rights and responsibilities.
The defense also uses legal assistants and can be an attorney hired by the defendant or one provided by the state...
