The entire story here is about crime, specifically in the USA. All criminal defendants in the USA are entitled to a trial by jury on all factual elements of the

The entire story here is about crime, specifically in the USA. All criminal defendants in the USA are entitled to a trial by jury on all factual elements of the offense to reach a verdict, unless explicitly waived by the defendant. Most defendants waive a trial (usually by plea of guilty), but relatively few who go to trial waive a jury. Judges do rule on pretrial proceedings including warrant applications; although in federal and some state jurisdictions grand juries still return indictments on felonies. That said it is wrong that judges do not decide criminal cases. Besides ruling on evidence and instructing jurors, they can also acquit, dismiss, or declare mistrial without the jury. N.B. Right to jury may not apply to so-called "petty" and/or non-criminal offenses which can carry as much as 6 months jail.