Rule 6.401 Right to Trial by Jury or by the Court

In Michigan criminal cases, you have the right to have a jury decide whether you are guilty or not guilty. A jury is made up of regular people from the community who listen to the evidence and make that decision together.

If you do not want a jury trial, you can choose to have a judge decide your case instead. This is called a "bench trial." However, you cannot make this choice on your own. Both the prosecutor and the judge must agree to allow it.