• Judge instructs jury on the applicable law
Once closing arguments are finished, the judge gives jury instructions—a set of legal directions that explain how the jury should evaluate the case. These instructions tell the jury what the law is, what the plaintiff must prove to win, how to assess witness credibility, how to weigh evidence, and what legal definitions apply (like negligence, breach of contract, or custody standards in family law cases). The instructions are critical because jurors must follow the law exactly as the judge explains it, not based on personal opinions or outside knowledge.
In a bench trial—where the judge decides the case instead of a jury—these instructions aren’t given out loud, but the judge still applies the same legal standards when reviewing the evidence and making a decision. In both jury and bench trials, this step marks the transition from argument to decision-making.
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