Which group consists of citizens deciding trial outcomes?

• A. Magistrates
• B. Plea Bargaining
• C. Juries
• D. Rules of Evidence

Answer: (C)

A jury is a group of ordinary citizens chosen to hear the evidence in a criminal trial and decide the verdict. Their job is to listen to witnesses, assess credibility, weigh the evidence, and determine guilt or innocence based on the legal standard of proof. Because they are members of the public, juries provide a peer-based check on the legal process and reflect the community’s perspective in deciding the outcome.

Plea bargaining, by contrast, is an agreement between the defendant and prosecutor to plead guilty to a lesser charge or receive a lighter sentence before a trial occurs, so it doesn’t involve a jury deciding the verdict. Magistrates are judges (or lay judges) who decide cases themselves or as a small panel, not a cross-section of citizens deliberating a verdict. Rules of Evidence are the standards that govern what information can be used in court, not a group that determines the outcome.