During a Florida criminal trial, the State Attorney’s Office is able to present evidence first and last because they have the burden of proof in prosecuting the case. Tampa criminal lawyers are “sandwiched” between the State Attorney’s Office presentation of evidence. Following the state attorney’s presentation of evidence, the defense then gets to present its own evidence, including witnesses and the defendant’s own testimony, if they choose to testify. If you have further questions about witnesses testifying, we provided a link to our articles regarding witnesses testifying. If you have other questions regarding what happens at a criminal trial, check out our articles regarding Criminal Trial Issues. In answering the age old question of who goes first in a criminal trial, the State Attorney’s Office/prosecuting entity always gets to go first.
Along with the presentation of evidence, many folks ask who goes first in a criminal trial presenting their closing arguments. The State Attorney’s Office is also given the opportunity to present their closing argument first and last. A Tampa criminal lawyer’s closing is again “sandwiched” between the closing arguments. The reasoning behind the State Attorney’s Office getting this opportunity is that it has to carry the burden during a criminal prosecution. It is worth noting your Tampa criminal lawyer can waive their closing argument, which will prevent the State Attorney’s Office from having the second closing argument.
If you have any questions concerning criminal trials or who goes first in a criminal trial, contact the Tampa criminal lawyers of Hackworth Law, P.A.. If you would like to contact one of our Tampa criminal lawyers immediately, please use the “contact us now” option or our chat box, which permits you to immediately contact one of our attorneys. Thank you for your attention on our Tampa criminal lawyer blog. We look forward to working with you in the future and hearing from you.