Also known as: trial courts · trial-court · court of first instance · court of original jurisdiction
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A court of original jurisdiction that conducts the trial of a case. The court receives evidence, assesses witness credibility, makes findings of fact, and applies the law to those facts in the first instance.
Taliah Tang testified at a bench trial that she had mailed a required notice on a specific date. The trial court found her testimony credible and entered judgment in her favor. On appeal, the reviewing court declined to disturb the finding because the trial court had observed the witness and the record contained no clear error.
Tessa Takahashi sought to prove that a particular intersection lay within city limits. The trial court took judicial notice that the intersection was generally known to be inside the court's territorial jurisdiction and instructed the jury accordingly without requiring further proof.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Theodore Tucker, the defendant, made a prima facie showing that the prosecutor had struck jurors on racial grounds. The trial court required the prosecutor to offer a race-neutral explanation, evaluated the explanation, and determined that purposeful discrimination had not been proven.
Theo Thomas offered an expert opinion linking a chemical exposure to his illness. The trial court examined the data and methodology, found too great an analytical gap between the data and the proffered opinion, and excluded the testimony as unreliable.
Tyrone Tran faced charges involving an alleged scheme. The government sought to introduce evidence of an earlier similar transaction. The trial court admitted the evidence after confirming that a jury could reasonably find the prior act occurred and that its probative value on intent was not substantially outweighed by unfair prejudice.
Tanner Thompson testified for the prosecution. Defense counsel sought to cross-examine him about membership in an organization whose tenets encouraged false testimony for fellow members. The trial court permitted the questioning, recognizing that evidence of bias is always relevant to credibility.
The trial court observes witnesses directly and makes credibility determinations that receive deference on appeal. Reviewing courts give due regard to the trial court's opportunity to judge credibility and set aside factual findings only if clearly erroneous.
Supporting sources
A trial court may judicially notice a fact that is not subject to reasonable dispute because it is generally known within the court's territorial jurisdiction or can be accurately and readily determined from reliable sources.
Supporting sources
The trial court evaluates whether the defendant has made a prima facie showing of racial discrimination, requires the striking party to offer a race-neutral explanation, and then determines whether purposeful discrimination has been proven.
Supporting sources
…without "proof of pecuniary injury . . . , such injury being implied." Id., at 673, 676, 144 So. 2d, at 37, 41. It approved the trial court's ruling that the jury could find the statements to have been made "of and concerning" respondent, stating: "We think it common knowledge that the average person knows that municipal…