<<< Deoch ~215 Mileth Law
Judicial Act: Trials I
VI. Trials
An Aisling accused of criminal activity that carries a penalty of exile
and/or Sgath has the right to request a trial presided by a judge, which can
be denied by a majority of judges. Any punitive actions already ordered
against the accused aisling must be suspended until the trial concludes and
reconsidered in the case of a guilty or partial guilty verdict.
A. Trial Types
There are two types of trials:
i. Trial by Judge: The presiding judge is the sole arbitrator of determining
guilt. There is no jury.
ii. Trial by Jury: A jury of qualified Mileth citizens determines guilt.
The defendant may choose which type of trial they prefer; however there if
there are insufficient qualified citizens available then a request for a
trial by jury then the trial will take place by judge.
B. The Prosecution
A prosecutor will be selected by the judge, and must be knowledgeable of
both the laws pertaining to the case and the case itself. The prosecutor,
with the permission of the judge, may have any number of assistants.
C. The Defense
The accused aisling has the right to a legal counsel, who may speak on their
behalf during the trial proceedings. They have the right to choose their own
counsel, or to request that the judge appoint a qualified one for them.
D. Trial Date Selection
The judge, defense and prosecution must schedule a date for the trial that
is workable to all parties. If a date and time workable for all parties is
not possible, then the defendant may be tried in absentia with a legal
counsel representing them.
E. Jury Selection
For trials by jury, a jury of qualified Mileth citizens will be selected by
the judge. A qualified citizen must:
1. Be Insight 11 or higher
2. Be least one deoch old
3. Have held office in Mileth above that of a Respected Citizen
4. Be knowledgeable of the laws pertaining to the case
A minimum of five jurors are to be chosen, but no more than eleven. Each
juror must not be connected to the prosecution, defense, or judge that may
place them in a position of bias.
Should the judge be unable to find five qualified jurors, or should a juror
fall asleep during the trial so as to bring the number of jurors down below
three without replacements on hand, the judge must reschedule the trial.
The defense and the prosecution may each challenge the suitability jurors
before the trial if they provide a valid reason to suspect that a juror is
biased and/or unqualified.
F. Disclosure of Evidence Prior to a Trial
All evidence being used by the defense and prosecution must be provided to
the judge at least sixteen days ((2 days)) prior to the trial, who will then
disclose all evidence to both sides at least eight days ((1 day)) prior to
the trial. The evidence must also include a list of all witnesses that
either side will question. No evidence or witness may be presented in court
unless the opposing side has been notified in this manner.