What is a bifurcated trial?

A judicial proceeding that is divided into two stages. The most common division is to determine liabiltiy or guilt in the first stage, and to establish damages or punishment in the second stage.

What type of cases have a bifurcated trial?

Frequently, civil cases are bifurcated into separate liability and damages proceedings. Criminal trials are also often bifurcated into guilt and sentencing phases, especially in capital cases.

Why are bifurcated trials important?

Bifurcating the trial will save the costs of putting on, and refuting, evidence of damages, which can include retaining expert witnesses such as economists, doctors, and accident reconstructionists, and of course the preparation time by the respective legal teams.

What is a bifurcated trial what type of criminal case is it used in and why?

Bifurcated Trials in California DUI Cases. A bifurcated or “split” trial allows you to face your current DUI charge on its own, without mention of previous DUIs, so that the jury is not prejudiced. After your trial, the issue of whether your prior convictions affect your sentencing will be handled separately.

Is bifurcation good or bad?

From a practical standpoint, bifurcation is almost always bad for the plaintiff, because the jury only hears only part of the story – the defendant’s negligent acts – but not the consequences, i.e., the plaintiff’s damages, which ultimately deprives them of a fair trial.

How do you use bifurcate?

Bifurcate in a Sentence 🔉

If citizens are worried about a government having too much power, a bifurcate government would allow one branch to check the other branch 🔉
The bifurcate system limited the control for the company so that both departments helped control each other.

What is the bifurcation trial process?

Bifurcated Trial. One judicial proceeding that is divided into two stages in which different issues are addressed separately by the court. A common example of a bifurcated trial is one in which the question of liability in a personal injury case is tried separately from and prior to a trial on the amount of damages to be awarded if liability is…

What does a bifurcated court system mean?

Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Bifurcation is a judge’s ability in law to divide a trial into two parts so as to render a judgment on a set of legal issues without looking at all aspects. Frequently, civil cases are bifurcated into separate liability and damages proceedings. Aug 16 2019

What is motion to bifurcate?

A motion to bifurcate the proceedings simply means that you would be requesting that the court enter a judgment on the dissolution so you would be divorced while other issues remain outstanding, such as property settlement issues and support. Here is a link that provides more information on this type of motion: