jury trial

noun

: a trial that is decided by a jury
I demand my right to a jury trial.

Examples of jury trial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Earlier this month, Rumson waived his right to a jury trial, opting instead for bench trial. —Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 24 May 2024 Last October, Tesla won its first U.S. jury trial over a fatal Autopilot crash. —William Gavin, Quartz, 23 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for jury trial 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jury trial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near jury trial

jury strut

jury trial

jus abutendi

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Cite this Entry

“Jury trial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jury%20trial. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.

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Legal Definition

jury trial

noun
: a trial in which a jury serves as the trier of fact

called also trial by jury

compare bench trial

Note: The right to a jury trial is established in the U.S. Constitution, but it is not an absolute right. The Supreme Court has stated that petty crimes (as those carrying a sentence of up to 6 months) do not require trial by jury. The right to a jury trial in a criminal case may be waived by the “express and intelligent consent” of the defendant, usually in writing, as well as, in federal cases, the approval of the court and consent of the prosecutor. There is no right to a jury trial in equity cases. When a civil case involves both legal and equitable issues or procedure, either party may demand a jury trial (and failure to do so is taken as a waiver), but the judge may find that there is no right to a jury trial because of equitable issues or claims.

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