“The jury sentenced him to 20 years.”
Usage Entry 1397 / 1605 60-second read
Judge vs. Jury
A legal expert presiding over a court versus a panel of citizens deciding fact.
The comparisoni
“The judge sentenced him to 20 years — juries decide guilt; judges hand down sentences.”
The ruleii
¶
JURY = verdict. JUDGE = sentence.
JURY (typically 12 citizens in the US) decides facts — guilty/not guilty in criminal cases, liability in civil. The JUDGE rules on points of law and, after a guilty verdict, decides the sentence. In bench trials, the judge does both.
Memory aidiii
Remember it like this
Jury says yes/no. Judge says how long.