What Happens During an OUI Trial?
If you’re arrested for OUI, one of the first things you should do is to discuss your defense with a specialist lawyer who knows Maine law. Your lawyer is the best person to prepare you for what will happen at your trial, which is briefly described below.
Here’s what happens at Maine OUI trials so no matter what the outcome, you’ll know what to expect:
Jury Selection
The jury must be selected once all the pretrial motions are resolved. A panel of 45-50 jurors is sent to the courtroom, from which twelve will be selected at random. The judge will then ask the jurors some questions, including whether they belong to groups such as MADD or SADD, or whether any of their family members was the victim of a drunk driver, to establish whether they have any pre-existing biases.
Opening Statements
The first discussion at trial comes in the form of two opening statements once a jury is selected – one from the prosecutor on behalf of the government, and the other from the defense.
Witness Testimony and Cross Examination
At this stage each side presents its key evidence to the jury. This is the heart of your OUI trial, and it’s also known as the “case-in-chief.”
Jury Instruction and Deliberations
After both sides of the case have had a chance to present their evidence and make a closing argument, the next step toward a verdict is jury instruction, where the judge gives the jury the legal standards it will need to decide whether the defendant is guilty or not.