Even in jury trials, the judge plays a really important role. The jury is the fact finder—that’s the only function of a jury. Primarily, that role comes into play when there are witnesses on both sides of a case saying different things. The jury listens to all the witnesses and decides who to believe.

The judge still makes all of the legal decisions. The judge also determines what evidence the jury should get to hear when reaching their factual findings. So, when one of the lawyers makes an objection that certain evidence isn’t relevant or that it is hearsay, the judge applies the rules of evidence and rules on the objection.

Only if the judge overrules the objection does the jury even hear the evidence. Then, at the end of the trial, the judge instructs, or “charges,” the jury as to what the applicable legal principles are. The jury then reaches its verdict by applying that law to the facts that they determined from the trial.