Verdict of "dīcere", to say). In a criminal case, the verdict, which may be either "not guilty" or "guilty"—except in Scotland where the verdict of "not proven" is also available—is handed down by the jury. Different counts in the same case may have different verdicts. A verdict of guilty in a criminal case is generally followed by a judgment of conviction rendered by judge, which in turn be followed by sentencing. In U.S. legal nomenclature, the verdict is the finding of the jury on the questions of fact submitted to it. Once the court (the judge) receives the verdict, the judge
Magistrate (England and Wales) over proceedings. A qualified legal adviser, also known as the court clerk, sits with the bench in the court room and is available to them at all times during the court sitting. The term "bench" is also used collectively to describe a group of magistrates assigned to a particular local justice area. "Magistrate" derives from the Middle English word "magistrat", denoting a "civil officer in charge of administrating laws" (c.1374); from the Old French "magistrat"; from the Latin "magistratus", which derives from "magister" (master), from the root of "magnus" (great). Today, in England and Wales, the word is used to