The judge presides over the trial from a desk, called a bench, on an elevated platform. The judge has
five basic tasks. The first is simply to preside over the proceedings and see that order is maintained.
The second is to determine whether any of the evidence that the parties want to use is illegal or
improper. Third, before the jury begins its deliberations about the facts in the case, the judge gives the
jury instructions about the law that applies to the case and the standards it must use in deciding the
case. Fourth, in bench trials, the judge must also determine the facts and decide the case. The fifth is
to sentence convicted criminal defendants. |