A jury is a selected group of laymen that hears witnesses in legal disputes and decides the facts. A courtroom trial in which the jury decides the facts is called a trial by jury. Before each court term, the jury commissioner or another public officer prepares a panel, or large initial list, of qualified jurors. For each trial, jurors are selected by lot from this panel. Before a trial begins, the Jurors swear to decide the facts fairly. They hear a testimony given by the witnesses for both sides, including cross-examinations. Then counsel for each side sum up, or summarize case, and the judge explains an applicable law in his instructions to the jury. In civil suits for financial damages, the jury must decide who is at fault and must determine the amount of money to be paid. In criminal cases, the jury must decide whether or not the accused is guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt”, and then either return the verdict of guilty, or acquit the defendant by the verdict of not guilty. If verdict is guilty, the judge imposes a sentence, or punishment, within limits that have been fixed by the legislature.