Jury Trials v. Bench Trials in Forsyth County DUI prosecutions
If you have a pending DUI matter in a Forsyth County court, and you want to beat the charges at a
trial, you typically have two options: a jury trial or a bench trial.
People are usually familiar with a jury trial. If the DUI charge is a misdemeanor (most first DUIs are), you can have a jury trial in the State Court of Forsyth County. A prosecuting attorney for the government has to persuade a jury of 6 that you are guilty of DUI beyond a reasonable doubt. If you are found not guilty, the case is over and you are vindicated. If you are found guilty by the jury, the trial judge sentences you. It takes several months to get a jury trial in Forsyth.
There is also an option of having a bench trial. If you have a bench trial, this is an alternative to a jury trial, so you choose one or the other. A bench trial is just a trial before the judge. The judge acts as both the judge and jury. Many times a jury trial is better than a judge decided trial, but if there is a matter of law that your case hinges upon, it is often quicker and more reliable to have the judge decide.
A Forsyth County DUI attorney can help you decided what is the best option for resolving your unique case. Call Richard S. Lawson, Forsyth DUI attorney, to discuss your case.