felony trial
Major crime hearing
A felony trial is a court proceeding to determine whether someone committed a serious crime—one punishable by more than a year in prison.
Unlike misdemeanor cases, felony trials typically involve jury selection, extensive evidence presentation, and formal procedural safeguards: The felony trial lasted three weeks.
The term distinguishes these proceedings from civil trials or lesser criminal matters.
- verdictOfficial court decision
- guilty verdictCourt's culpability determination
- juryLegal decision-making body
- defendantParty facing charges
- prosecutorGovernment's trial lawyer
courtroom · judge · witness · testimony · evidence · opening statement · closing argument · reasonable doubt · beyond a reasonable doubt · conviction · acquittal · sentencing · life sentence · indictment · gavel · deliberation · hung jury · cross-examination
felony trialcivil trial
Noncriminal court proceeding
civil lawsuit · small claims court · arbitration · mediation · divorce proceeding
felony trialplea bargain
Negotiated criminal case resolution
guilty plea · plea agreement · dismissal · charges dropped · plea deal
felony, felon, felonious, feloniously, felonies, felons, trial, trials, trialed