As a forensic student major at Husson I have had to learn this process in my Intro to Justice class. At first I thought it would be boring and pointless, but after learning about it and putting what I learned into real life scenarios it all made sense. With this paper I have put a 40 page chapter in my textbook to a 3-5 page paper. This will help any criminal justice, pre-law, or another forensic science major help understand it more or quicker if you didn’t read the chapter before the midterm.
The first step in the trial process is selecting the jurors. The jurors are chosen by means specified in the particular legislation of the state. Usually the designated official such as, jury commissioner, clerk of the court, or sheriff choose jurors. They pick the jurors from voter registration lists, motor vehicle records, or even combination of these sources. These names are put on pieces of paper and drawn randomly by some means. These potential jurors compose what is known as the jury panel, or venire.
After the jurors are selected the process of voir dire examination begins. This is the process of examining each potential juror under oath to see if he or she is acceptable to both the prosecution and the defense. After the jurors are selected the trial process may begin. The indictment or information is read, and the state makes its opening statement. In the opening statement, the prosecutor explains how the state plans to introduce witnesses and physical evidence that will show that the accused committed the crime being tried.
Next, the defense makes its opening statement, it can wave this right if it desires. In the defense’s opening statement they show how they will prove the accused innocent. After the opening statements conclude, the state’s case is presented. At this time the state calls upon their first witness. The prosecutor begins with a direct examination of the witness. Usually, a direct examination consists of eliciting facts in chronological order...