Duties of the Trial Jury (Criminal/Civil)
Their job is to decide which side to believe at a formal criminal trial, or in other words, to render a
verdict of guilt or innocence. Smaller than a grand jury, a trial jury usually consists of six to twelve
people. Trial court procedure is extremely strict and controlled entirely by the judge. Each party
in a trial typically has an attorney. Unlike a grand jury, a trial jury usually has no say in what
evidence they get to see. Evidence in trials is carefully chosen by each party’s attorney and must
adhere to a set of rules designed to ensure that the evidence is reliable. Trial juries rarely have
the opportunity to ask questions.
