Rule 6-604 Nonjury trials.

When a criminal case in magistrate court is decided by a judge instead of a jury, the judge must announce a decision right after the trial ends. The judge cannot wait days or weeks to tell you the outcome. This happens out loud, in court, as soon as both sides finish presenting their case.

After announcing the decision, the judge then puts it in writing as an official judgment or order. This written document makes the decision final and part of the court record. The main point of this rule is to give people a quick answer about the result of their case, rather than leaving them waiting to find out if they won or lost.