CLOSING ARGUMENTS

One of the last stages of a trial, closing arguments are final summaries of the defense and prosecution's legal and factual positions.

This represents the last chance for each side to address the jury before they exit for deliberation. Therefore closing arguments are the only remaining chance to influence the minds of the jurors. For a skilled Seattle DUI Attorney, closing arguments are a golden opportunity to persuade the jury that the prosecution has fallen short of the burden of proof requirement.

Cases are not made through closing arguments, but a convincing close can certainly be the difference between a victory or defeat.

“The jury system has come to stand for all we mean by English justice. The scrutiny of 12 honest jurors provides defendants and plaintiffs alike a safeguard from arbitrary perversion of the law.”
Winston Churchill

When the trial proceedings have been completed, the judge will instruct the jury on the law as it applies to the case at hand. By doing so the judge defines the elements the jury must take into consideration in order to arrive at a fair and reasonable conclusion.

The judge decides which legal standards apply to the case based on the evidence presented at trial. Most importantly the judge makes the final decision on what crimes and charges the jury must consider and deliberate on.

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