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Judge Charging Jury-DO NOT ENTER

What does that mean?

It means that the judge is giving the jury instructions on the law in New York. It means that the case is almost over and the jury is just about ready to go and start deliberating on their verdict.

Before they can start deliberating, they must listen to the law that applies to that particular case.

More importantly, did you know that each attorney has an opportunity to ask the judge to give specific instructions that favors his or her client? It's true.

In fact, the judge is required to ask the lawyers if they have any specific instructions they want the judge to discuss with the jury.

The judge will then decide whether those requests will be honored. That takes place in the Judge's private office with a court stenographer present. That's known as a 'charge conference'.

Gerry practices law exclusively in the State of New York. Within New York he practices primarily in the following counties: New York, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau and Suffolk. Technically, Brooklyn is known as "Kings County," and Manhattan and New York City are known as "New York County." Staten Island is known as "Richmond County." These counties make up the New York metropolitan area.