Get IN Trial Court Statistics

The length of a trial will vary depending upon the complexity of the case, the number of witnesses. Jury trials generally take at least three days to complete, and can go as long as many months. The average length of a trial is probably between four to five days.

Trial: A proportion of federal cases go to trial. The typical federal trial involving appointed counsel lasts two to three days to a week.

Answer: The length of a trial will vary depending upon the complexity of the case, the number of witnesses. Jury trials generally take at least three days to complete, and can go as long as many months. The average length of a trial is probably between four to five days.

The conservative estimate seems to be that over 90% of cases end in guilty pleas. The United States Courts website estimates that more than 90% of federal cases resolve this way. A 2012 New York Times article reported that 97% of federal cases and 94% of state cases end via plea bargain.

Typically, civil trials last between 3 and 10 days once they are before a jury and ready to be heard. However, it can take many months to prepare for a case to go to trial. From the date of filing to the date of verdict, you can expect a personal injury lawsuit to last around one year or more.

The conservative estimate seems to be that over 90% of cases end in guilty pleas. The United States Courts website estimates that more than 90% of federal cases resolve this way. A 2012 New York Times article reported that 97% of federal cases and 94% of state cases end via plea bargain.

The conservative estimate seems to be that over 90% of cases end in guilty pleas. The United States Courts website estimates that more than 90% of federal cases resolve this way. A 2012 New York Times article reported that 97% of federal cases and 94% of state cases end via plea bargain.

About 97 percent of civil cases are settled or dismissed without a trial. The number tried in court fell from 22,451 in 1992 to 11,908 in 2001, according to the study. Plaintiffs won 55 percent of the cases and received $4.4 billion in damages.

The vast majority of criminal cases settle and do not go to trial. Trials are rare in criminal cases. Prosecutors generally don't want to go to trial because that's a lot of extra work. If the state went to trial on every single case, or the majority of cases, then the backlog would just be enormous.

Cases that go to trial can take more than a year to get to. But the case can be negotiated and plea-bargained; it should be able to be resolved somewhere between three months, six months and maybe even nine months.

Courts are busy places and there are only so many days available for the court to hear cases. A judge's calendar fills up quickly. Civil court trials take longer and are typically set for trial a year or 18 months after being filed.

United States. In the United States federal court system, the conviction rate rose from approximately 75 percent to approximately 85% between 1972 and 1992. For 2012, the US Department of Justice reported a 93% conviction rate.

Conviction rate is the number of convictions, including the plea bargains, as a percentage of the total number of prosecutions undertaken within a given area or for a given time.

About 90 percent of the federal defendants and 75 percent of the defendants in the most populous counties were found guilty -- regardless of whether their attorneys were private or public defenders.

Japan has a conviction rate of over 99%, most of which are secured on the back of a confession. "It is also seen as a chance given to a suspect to unburden his guilt and repent for his crimes." If a suspect repents during the interrogation process, Professor Kingston says, prosecutors offer a lighter sentence.