Effects of the adversarial approach on testimony, evidence, plea bargaining, and court proceedings in general are discussed. The civil law tradition in Europe is examined in relation to the inquisitorial process in Europe, and aspects of civil trials that are relevant to criminal trials are described. In this context, the focus is on prosecutors, defense counsel, rights of suspects and defendants, and evidence admissibility. The author points out that the inquisitorial process does not make the trial the supreme event in the way the adversarial process does. Rather, the trial is the public finale of an ongoing investigation. The author also notes that courts have become arenas in which questions of guilt or innocence are eclipsed by disputes about constitutional safeguards.