Just because Law & Order starts and finishes a case in less than an hour doesn’t mean it mirrors the reality of civil cases. A civil case is brought against the accused if the plaintiff has a reason for why the defendant has wronged him or her. The goal of a civil case is to be awarded a certain amount of money that the plaintiff deems appropriate for having been wronged. Civil lawsuits can occur as a result of a hit and run, medical malpractice, personal injury, common bile duct injury, or various other injuries that were not caused by the plaintiff. Consult your NYC civil case lawyers before proceeding.
The first stage of a civil lawsuit is jury selection. While most civil cases do not require a jury, some do. In these cases, the judge and lawyers involved will comb through a number of jurors to ultimately decide who’s deemed fit to try the case.
Once the court is in session, and the jury has been assembled, both lawyers offer their opening statements. It’s here that both sides present their initial and prepared argument as to why they believe their client is on the right side of justice.
The next stage marks the beginning of witness testimony and cross-examination. It is during this stage that each party is allowed to present compelling evidence as to why their client is right. Here each lawyer calls witnesses which they have interviewed beforehand to the stand, for them to testify in front of the judge and jury.
After the judge has deemed that both parties have presented adequate information, closing arguments commence. It’s at this juncture that both sides summarize the relevant information they’ve already put forth to judge and jury.
One of the final stages involves the judge informing the jury of how they need to go about deliberating and coming to a verdict. The legal standards will be explained to the jury so that they understand the framework within which they must work.
The grand finale belongs solely to the judge or jury. This is when jurors confer with each other and agree or disagree on a verdict. When ready, the verdict will be announced to the court.
