What is the bifurcated process?

What is the bifurcated process?

Bifurcation is the splitting of a case into two separate trials. Generally, a civil lawsuit can be naturally divided into two major issues for a trier of fact, such as a judge or a jury, to decide: liability and damages. In a bifurcated case, the issues of liability and damages are decided separately.

What is the guilt phase?

During the guilt phase, a jury decides the defendant’s guilt or innocence. If the defendant is found guilty, the trial moves to a penalty phase in which the jury receives additional information and decides whether or not the defendant should be executed.

What does aggravating and mitigating factors mean?

Overview. Aggravating circumstances refers to factors that increases the severity or culpability of a criminal act. A mitigating factor is the opposite of an aggravating circumstance, as a mitigating factor provides reasons as to why punishment for a criminal act’s ought to be lessened.

What are the mitigating circumstances?

Definition. Factors that lessen the severity or culpability of a criminal act, including, but not limited to, defendant’s age or extreme mental or emotional disturbance at the time the crime was committed, mental retardation, and lack of a prior criminal record.

What’s the effect of alternative circumstance?

Alternative circumstances are those which must be taken into consideration as aggravating or mitigating according to the nature and effects of the crime and the other conditions attending its commission. They are the relationship, intoxication and the degree of instruction and education of the offender.

What are the 3 alternative circumstances?

The Alternative Circumstances Are:

• Relationship;
• Intoxication; and.
• Degree of instruction and education of the offender.

What are the crimes against person?

The category of crimes against people includes such crimes as murder, rape, assault, child abuse, and sexual harassment.