Glossary
Bench trial
A trial without a jury, where the judge alone decides both questions of law and questions of fact. Common in civil cases where one or both sides waive their right to a jury, and required in some kinds of cases.
In a bench trial, the judge does double duty: they rule on objections and apply the law (their normal job) and also weigh the evidence and decide who's telling the truth (the jury's normal job).
Bench trials tend to be faster, less formal, and less risky in some ways than jury trials. There's no jury selection, no jury instructions, and no concern that the jury will be swayed by a lawyer's theatrics. They're often used for technical or document-heavy cases where the judge's expertise is more useful than a jury's common sense.