How does a judge guide a petit jury during a trial?

A judge plays a central role in supervising a petit jury throughout a trial, ensuring the proceedings adhere to legal standards. The judge’s guidance involves several key responsibilities:

• Evidentiary Control: The judge determines what evidence the jury is permitted to hear and consider, strictly applying the rules of evidence.12
• Legal Instructions: At the conclusion of a trial, the judge instructs the jury on the applicable law they must apply to reach a verdict. These instructions are often selected from proposals submitted by the parties.13
• Summarization: In many jurisdictions, the judge may summarize the evidence presented or discuss its weight to assist the jury in their deliberations.1
• Verdict Oversight: The judge typically directs the jury to return a general verdict. However, they may utilize "special verdicts" or "special interrogatories," requiring the jury to answer specific factual questions. If a judge finds a verdict is manifestly against the weight of the evidence, they may set it aside and order a new trial, though they cannot direct a guilty verdict in criminal cases.142