At the end of the trial, the judges and jurors retire. They first decide the question of guilt by answering a series of questions—e.g., "Did "X" murder "Y"?", "Did "X" premeditate the murder?" If a conviction results, they then rule on the appropriate penalty. During this procedure, judges and jurors have equal positions on questions of facts, while judges decide questions of procedure. Judges and jurors have also equal positions on sentencing. Voting is secret, blank and invalid votes are counted in favor of the defendant.