Order in the Court

“A
ll rise for the judge!”

There’s a shuffle as all the people in the room get to their feet and look expectantly at the raised table (called “the bench”) at the front. A door opens from a room behind it (called “the judge’s chambers”). The judge sweeps out, bedecked in a black robe. The air is solemn.

“You may sit down.”

Everyone’s in place — the plaintiff, defendant, the jury, court reporter, court clerk. It’s time for the court proceedings to begin.

The Job of a Judge

So what does a judge actually do? A judge runs a court of law — a place where two people in an argument can ask for someone who knows the law to decide who’s right. A courtroom is also a place where someone accused of breaking the law will be found either innocent or guilty.

In the United States, judges in smaller courts often rule over cases alone, but in criminal and civil courts, there is both a judge and a jury. A jury is a group of six or 12 randomly selected American citizens, who hopefully can decide a case without showing favor to one side. In a criminal case, the jury has to be in complete agreement to find a person guilty.