Trial by Jury Clause Law and Legal Definition
Trial by jury clause is a clause in the U.S. Constitution that grants trial by jury as a constitutional right. Trial by jury refers to a proceeding in a case, where a jury is permitted to make the decision or make findings of fact that are later applied by the judge. The sixth, and seventh amendments to the constitution provides for criminal and civil trials by jury respectively.
Accordingly, in criminal cases the sixth amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants trial by jury as a constitutional right to a person, where the person is accused of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than six months.
Trial by jury for civil cases is granted through USCS Const. Amend. 7. This provision in the constitution is read as:
“In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law”.
