CCJ 101 Lecture Notes - Jury Instructions, Jury Trial, Bench Trial
Document Summary
Ccj chapter 9: the criminal trial and sentencing. The criminal trial and sentencing: criminal trials: ascertain guilt in those charged with crimes. Legal guilt: prosecutor persuades judge or jury defendant is guilty. Purpose: to offer a picture of what actually transpired. Not evidence but predictions of what will be presented. Perjury: swearing of a false oath: presentation of evidence. Federal rules of evidence: guide what constitutes evidence and what can be introduced at trial. Evidence must be: relevant, material, competent types of evidence. Direct evidence: doesn"t require fact-finder to draw an inference. Circumstantial evidence: requires interpretation of evidence: hearsay. Hearsay: out-of-court statement offered in court to prove truth. Dying declaration: final words of a crime witness. Excited utterance: words blurted out under stress/excitement. Reputation concerning character: may testify about social reputation: presentation of closing arguments. Summarize evidence and arguments for the jury. Rebuttal: prosecutors may receive the last opportunity to speak. Reaching a verdict: judge"s charge to the jury.
