Civic · 6 pages · 12 min
Why most criminal cases do not see a jury
Most criminal cases end in pleas or dismissals before a jury is ever seated.
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From the opening
A jury sits only if a case stays alive all the way to a contested trial and the jury right is used. Most criminal cases leave the docket earlier, by dismissal or by a plea that waives the trial, so no jury is called. The opening covers pleas waive the trial, dismissals end the charge, and sentencing exposure shapes the trade.
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Inside
- Pleas waive the trial
- Dismissals end the charge
- Sentencing exposure shapes the trade
- A contest can still reach a jury
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Plea bargaining
- Jury trial waiver