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

Ragan, who sat beside his attorney Adam Goodman, waived his right to a jury trial — an unusual move for a defendant facing execution. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026

Reed, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, waived his right to a jury trial and was sentenced to 11 years. —Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Mar. 2026

Amin waived his right to a speedy trial and requested a jury trial. —Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026

Afterward, Judge Bill Whitehill didn’t rule on any of the seven motions for summary judgment, but if Friday’s sporadic fireworks are an indication, the case seems destined for jury trial, currently scheduled for May 11. —Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026

Rhymes for jury trial

• denial
• mistrial
• posttrial
• pretrial
• retrial
• dial
• rial
• thiol
• vial
• sensorial
• supervisorial

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.