After the Trial 

The end of a trial may bring a sense of relief, or it may not offer the closure you were expecting. Keep in mind that your testimony and participation is often critical to building a case against a perpetrator, but it is only one aspect of all the information that is considered by a judge or jury.

After hearing from the witnesses and the attorneys, the judge will set a day and time to announce the sentence in what is called the sentencing hearing. These hearings can be held the same day the trial ends, or it can be days, weeks, even months later. You don’t have to attend if you don’t want to. If a judge and/or jury find the defendant not guilty or issue a punishment you feel is not reflective of the crime, it may be difficult to hear. If the alleged perpetrator is acquitted, it does not mean that person is innocent or that the jury doesn’t believe your story. Rather, it means there isn’t enough evidence to make either decision beyond a reasonable doubt.