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

The plaintiff is seeking equitable damages, compensatory damages, emotional damages, punitive damages and attorneys’ fees through a jury trial. —Rudy Chinchilla, NBC News, 6 Jan. 2025

In five out of the last 10 state budget years, Miami-Dade had the worst jury trial conviction rate in the state, according to yearly reports from the Office of State Courts Administrator. —Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025

Durbin was convicted of two counts of felonious assault during a November jury trial. —Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 20 Dec. 2024

Danny Masterson is seeking to overturn the verdict in his 2023 jury trial, which ended with him being convicted on two counts of rape by force or fear and sentenced to 30 years in prison. —Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Dec. 2024

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.