n.
Public official vested with the authority to hear, determine, and preside over legal matters brought in court.
In jury cases, the judge presides over the selection of the panel and instructs it concerning pertinent law. The judge may also rule on motions made before or during a trial. In the U.S., judges are elected or appointed. Most federal judges are appointed for life by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate . The highest-ranking judge in the U.S. legal system is the chief justice of the Supreme Court . See also judgment , judiciary , magistrate's court , Missouri Plan .