Bench trial, also known as a court trial, is a trial without a jury in which a judge decides the facts.
In a criminal trial a defendant must be allowed a jury trial if requested. However, a defendant may waive a jury trial right but such waiver must be made openly.[1]
- ↑ This was used in several 2016 trials involving Baltimore police officers charged with the murder of a suspect in custody, due to the racial tensions involved none of the officers believed that a fair trial was possible and all requested bench trials; all the officers were subsequently acquitted.