Jury—you know those twelve people sitting in the box watching the trial. Whether you have been called for jury duty but never selected or been in a position where a jury is choosing your fate, there are a lot of things about an Orlando jury that you many not know about. Juries play an important role in the Orlando criminal justice system as a whole and are a constitutional right for anyone facing a potential punishment of at least six months’ in jail. To clarify that concept a little more—potential does not mean actual so if a defendant is charged with a crime that could land them in jail for six months but ultimately does not get any jail time, then he or she is still entitled to a trial by jury.
Guaranteed by the sixth amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the main purpose behind having a jury trial (as opposed to letting the judge in the case decide every time) is to attempt to ensure a fair and impartial trial. In order to achieve this impartiality, the defense and prosecution in a case will ask potential jurors questions. You may have experienced this first-hand before if you have been called into jury duty in Orlando. Once the jury has been selected, the members of the Orlando jury will sit and listen to the entire case—this can be quick or very long depending on the charges and the circumstances of the case. One of the biggest weaknesses of a jury comes about when there are complicated legal issues being presented. After all, very few members of a jury have any sort of legal training.
Tasked with weighing the evidence and defenses presented, when the trial ends the jurors are asked to answer a question: was there enough evidence to satisfy the criminal offenses charged beyond a reasonable doubt? If a reasonable person could doubt that the defendant is guilty of the crimes charged then there can be no conviction.
As defense attorneys, proving the “doubt” is our main job. We know how to speak to the jury in a language they will understand and present the best defense evidence possible to place the necessary level of doubt in a jury’s mind. Whether you are charged with a misdemeanor or a serious felony, we will present convincing defenses to the jury in your case. In much the same way, we make sure to work with all of our Orlando criminal defense clients with a plain-English approach. You will always know what is going on in your case and the legal options available to you. We know how intimidating the process can be and hiring us as your Orlando criminal defense attorneys should hopefully assuage your concerns on many levels. If you have recently been charged with a crime in Orlando, give us a call today for an obligation-free consultation. We are available day or night to talk to you about your case.
