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
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Martin and her attorneys are demanding a jury trial on all civil allegations. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Aug. 2025 The two are set to face off in court during a jury trial, which is scheduled for Sept. 15 in Atlanta. Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2025 With the lawsuit, the mother of the teen is seeking a jury trial and more than $1 million in general, special and compensatory damages. Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 24 July 2025 Family members of the woman killed in the crash, Tesla engineers and auto-safety experts are expected to provide testimony in a federal courtroom in Miami during the jury trial, which started Monday and is set to last three weeks. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for jury trial

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Cite this Entry

“Jury trial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jury%20trial. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.

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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