Many courts hearing first-degree murder cases rely upon one jury to determine the suspect's guilt or lack of guilt; and another jury to decide upon the degree of punishment.

Question

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This is known as a bifurcated trial, where the guilt phase and penalty phase of the trial are separated and heard by different juries. The guilt jury determines whether the defendant is guilty of first-degree murder, and if so, the penalty jury determines the appropriate degree of punishment.

Many Courts Hearing First-Degree Murder Cases Rely Upon One Jury