A jury trial is a trial in which a panel of jurors makes a determination on whether a criminal defendant is guilty of the crimes of which he or she was accused. Jurors are selected randomly by the state and then narrowed down through a selection process. The process is necessary so that no one will be biased neither toward or away from the accused.
There are usually twelve jurors chosen. All these members must appear in court every day until the trial is over. What normally happens is both the prosecution and the defense will come in and make their opening statements. The prosecution will explain what charge it has against the defendant and the defense will explain why they believe the defendant is not guilty of such a crime.
After the opening statements are made, both parties will then present the jury with witnesses, evidence, and other information that is pertinent to the case. The information will help the jury to decide how to rule.
Each side will have one last chance to sway the jury by making closing arguments. After the closing arguments are done, the jurors are sent to consult on a ruling. If it could not be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the defendant was indeed guilty of the crime, the jury will usually decide on a not guilty ruling.