Stamford DUI Jury Trials
If you have never been charged with a DUI, Stamford DUI jury trials can be confusing. You may not know how to conduct yourself or what you should do on the first day. The first thing a person should do when they arrive at the courthouse on the day of their trial is find their attorney and then proceed to the appropriate courtroom which would either be the jury selection room or the trial room. If you want to know more, consult an experienced Stamford DUI defense attorney that can advocate for you.
Jury Selection
On the first day of Stamford DUI jury trials, the jury is selected. The defendant, through their attorney, the prosecutor, and the judge, will question each juror individually in a room.The first few days of trial are picking a jury. On the first day of evidence, an individual can expect the prosecutor to call its first witness who is most likely the arresting officer, and then present their case.
The defendant is not allowed to question the jurors, but the defendant has the right to sit there and to confer with their attorney. If the defendant is representing themselves, then they can question jurors directly.
Differences Between a Bench Trial and a Jury Trial
A bench trial is heard before the judge alone. The judge makes their decision based on all the evidence. In a jury trial, the decisions are split between the judge and the jury. The jury decides on the facts such as which witnesses to believe and which witnesses to not believe; which evidence should they take seriously; and which evidence should be disregarded. The judge decides on the legal issues, such as what evidence can be given to the jury, and things like that.
Choosing a Jury Trial
Everyone has a constitutional right to a jury in Connecticut. It would be rare for a lawyer to recommend a bench trial, but it does happen occasionally if the lawyer has a sense that a certain judge who is familiar with the facts of the case will be very unlikely to put the defendant in jail. If the defense lawyer finds a situation like that, feels confident that this judge will not put the defendant in jail, then that might be a time to elect a bench trial.
Why Would a Defense Attorney Suggest a Jury
Stamford DUI jury trials are usually a good idea when there is police officer misconduct. If the defendant is very sympathetic or if there are witnesses involved that the attorney feels they would be able to show are lying, or things of that nature, would all be good in front of a jury.
Benefits of a Jury Trial in a DUI Case
A jury trial could be very helpful because the defendant will have peers from the community sit as jurors and they oftentimes will not look at things as black and white as the prosecutor and the judge. Sometimes the jury can be motivated by sympathy, or they can see things in a different light. The defense may be able to convince the jury to find a verdict of not guilty whereas the judge and the prosecutor can sometimes be a little bit jaded based on all the crime they see on a daily basis.
Negative Aspects of a Jury Trial
The drawbacks of Stamford DUI jury trials are that a jury trial can be very unpredictable. The defense may find that a jury just does not like the defendant or that they are keying in on evidence that no one else thinks is important or relevant and they make their decision based on that. A jury can be very hard to read.
Appropriate Conduct During a Jury Trial
At Stamford DUI jury trials, it is the jurors’ job to decide what the facts are. When jury is sitting in the court and paying attention to every little detail from what color of shoes they are wearing to how expensive their watch is, and the faces they make during trial.
It is very important to be respectful, to not make faces, and to look presentable but not too flashy. When an individual does take the stand during their trial, they should speak with confidence and not come off as evasive. If an individual wants to know more about how to conduct themselves during a DUI jury trial, they should consult a knowledgeable DUI attorney that can guide them through the trial process.