If your Jacksonville criminal case goes to trial, a lot will already have happened in your case: arrest, arraignment, one or more pretrial conferences, an exchange of evidence known as “discovery,” possible negotiations with the prosecution, and perhaps pre-trial motions. For example, your attorney might file a pre-trial motion asking the court to exclude certain evidence.
If you’ve chosen a jury trial, the process will begin with jury selection. Since the prosecutor has the burden of proving each element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt, the state will present its evidence first. Your attorney will have the opportunity to question each of the witnesses after the prosecution makes its direct examination or questions its witness. When the prosecution has presented all of its evidence, it’s your turn to call witnesses and present any other evidence you may have.
Your attorney and the prosecutor will each have a chance to make a closing argument, and then the judge will give instructions to the jury and send them to the jury room to discuss your case and decide on a verdict.
Depending on the crime you are charged with, the number of witnesses and the complexity of the evidence, a criminal trial may take just a few hours or may go on for several days.