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

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On the eve of a federal jury trial, Toyota has settled a lawsuit blaming it for the fatal carbon monoxide poisoning of an Atlanta man, the AJC’s Rosie Manins reports. —Adam Beam, AJC.com, 27 May 2026 Nunez is seeking damages in excess of $5 million and has requested a jury trial. —ABC News, 27 May 2026 But during opening statements in Metz’s jury trial Tuesday morning, defense attorney David Jones argued that the gun had gone off unintentionally. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 27 May 2026 The lawsuit seeks in excess of $5 million in damages and a jury trial. —Nathan Diller, USA Today, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for jury trial

Rhymes for jury trial

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jury strut
jury trial
jus
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Cite this Entry

“Jury trial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jury%20trial. Accessed 29 May. 2026.

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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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