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Request for a Trial by Jury. For a harassment charge.
Anonymous5 views2 answers
I requested a trial by Jury,in Alabama,my court appointed attorney informed me I must first go in front of the Judge,and if found guilty then pay $500 to appeal the Decision and then I will go to a Trial by Jury,is this the normal way.?
Yes, you appear in District Court or Municipal Court first because your charge is a misdemeanor. You can either try it there and if found guilty appeal to Circuit Court (where you will get the chance to have a jury trial) or simply stipulate an appeal without a trial. Make sure whoever fills out your appeal forms that the box "trial by jury" is checked.
Your lawyer and Mr. Bruijn are correct. I'll just add this for clarification. Your charge is a misdemeanor, which is handled in District Court, and we don't do jury trials in District Court. If you have a trial, it will be a bench trial, meaning a trial in front of the judge (no jury), in District Court. If the District Judge finds you guilty, you can then file an appeal. That will get your case moved to Circuit Court, where you will have a chance at a trial in front of a jury, if you choose.
