So what’s the reasoning behind Jury Trials vs Trials where the judge decides everything? What does a Judge do in Jury trials? Why do some countries not have jury trials and all trials are just with a judge or multiple judges?
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>So what’s the reasoning behind Jury Trials vs Trials where the judge decides everything?
In the US at least, we have a jury system so that the judicial branch of government stays accountable to the people. For any criminal offense, you have the right to have your fate decided by a group of other citizens with no connection to your case or the judicial system at all. The idea is that if the judicial system ever tried to abuse someone, the people have a direct method of stopping it.
>What does a Judge do in Jury trials?
They ensure that the law is followed. There is a lot of procedural stuff that happens during a trial, and the judge is there to decide those things when conflicts between the prosecution and defense come up. They evaluate the issue, look at relevant case law, and make decisions to the trial is fair to both sides.
Juries are there to interpret fact, not law. They listen to the evidence and, based on that evidence, decide if a specific law has been broken beyond a reasonable doubt.
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