A jury is a selected group of laymen that hears witnesses in legal
disputes and decides the facts. A courtroom trial in which the jury
decides the facts is called a trial by jury. Before each court term, the
jury commissioner or another public officer prepares a panel, or large
initial list, of qualified jurors. For each trial, jurors are selected
by lot from this panel. Before a trial begins, the Jurors swear to
decide the facts fairly. They hear a testimony given by the witnesses
for both sides, including cross-examinations. Then counsel for each side
sum up, or summarize case, and the judge explains an applicable law in
his instructions to the jury. In civil suits for financial damages, the
jury must decide who is at fault and must determine the amount of money
to be paid. In criminal cases, the jury must decide whether or not the
accused is guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt”, and then either return
the verdict of guilty, or acquit the defendant by the verdict of not
guilty. If verdict is guilty, the judge imposes a sentence, or
punishment, within limits that have been fixed by the legislature.