Today I witnessed a bench trial (a trial with no jury where the judge is the ultimate decision maker). In this trial, the defendant was accused of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in a hospital, and the District Attorney brought three police officers from said hospital along with surveillance footage to support their case. The defense, on the other hand, had the testimony of the defendant and the cross-examination of the prosecution’s witnesses to back up their side of the case.
Ultimately, after a ten minute decision making process, Judge Davidian found the suspect not guilty of disorderly conduct but guilty of resisting arrest. If the suspect was not happy with the outcome of the trial, however, she could appeal to the superior court for a jury trial. Watching this trial taught me that even the most minor details on the video evidence including which way the defendant was looking could influence the outcome of a trial.