Predictable Outcomes: Judges' decisions are generally more predictable than those of a jury, in which emotions or personal biases can sway. If, for example, you're assigned a judge with a record of showing leniency for mitigating circumstances, your attorney might recommend waiving the jury trial.
When a jury trial is waived, the decision of guilt or innocence is made solely by the judge in a bench trial. The judge evaluates the evidence and delivers a verdict based on whether the prosecution has met its burden of proof.
Defendants generally trust that a jury will acquit or render a not guilty verdict more often (than a judge). The O.J. trial certainly validated this belief. Both the defendant and the People have the right to a jury trial in misdemeanor and felony trials (California Constitution, Article I, § 16 and Penal Code § 699).
In the demand a party may specify the issues which the party wishes so tried; otherwise the party shall be deemed to have demanded trial by jury for all the issues so triable.
On any issue triable of right by a jury, a party may demand a jury trial by: (1) serving the other parties with a written demand—which may be included in a pleading—no later than 14 days after the last pleading directed to the issue is served; and. (2) filing the demand in ance with Rule 5(d).
Article I, Section 16 of the State Constitution of California says, “A trial by jury is an inviolate right and shall be secured to all. A jury may be waived in a criminal cause by the consent of both parties expressed in open court by the defendant and the defendant's counsel."
Any party may demand a trial by jury on any issue triable of right by a jury by serving upon the other parties a demand therefor at any time after the commencement of the action and not later than fourteen days after the service of the last pleading directed to such issue.
A case is withdrawn when the DA says that they are not moving forward on the charges, a case is dismissed by a court when either (1) there is insufficient or inadequate evidence, (2) the DA asks for it to be dismissed, or (3) there was some agreement for the case to be dismissed.
A motion to vacate specifically asks a judge to cancel something. If a judge or jury convicted you of a crime — or you pleaded guilty — then a motion to vacate might ask the judge to cancel the conviction.