What is the nature of a bench trial?

• A. A trial conducted with a jury deciding issues of fact and law.
• B. A bench trial is a trial conducted without a jury, with the judge deciding issues of fact and law.
• C. A trial in which a panel of mediators decides the case.
• D. A bench trial is an informal hearing with no judge.

Answer: (B)

A bench trial is a trial conducted without a jury, with the judge acting as the trier of both the facts and the law. In this setup, the judge weighs the evidence, assesses witness credibility, and decides the factual questions as well as applying the legal standards to reach a judgment. There is no separate jury verdict, since all fact-finding and legal rulings are handled by the judge. This differs from a jury trial, where a jury determines the facts and the judge provides instructions on the law.