At the end of the trial, all participants are called into the courtroom. The presiding judge announces the judgment with the following words, “In the of the people, the following judgment is pronounced...” The judgment is usually either an acquittal (a judgment of not guilty), or a conviction (a judgment of guilty) with the imposition of a penalty, either money, imprisonment or juvenile penalty – with or without probation. If neither the convicted person, nor the public prosecutor’s office nor – if applicable – the private accessory prosecutors do not appeal either on points of fact or points of law only within one week, the judgment becomes final and binding and the criminal proceedings are ended.

But the criminal proceedings do not necessarily have to end with a judgment. Examples of this are if the proceedings are terminated by the public prosecutor’s office or the court due to negligible guilt Some proceedings can also be discontinued if a fine is paid or if reparations for damages are made.

In certain cases, a settlement can be arrived at between the defendant, the public prosecutor’s office and the court. This might happen, for example, if an agreement is made about a certain range of punishment. Usually, such an agreement also includes an admission of guilt by the defendant. There can be no understanding regarding the question of whether an individual committed certain criminal offences or not.