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

Roath’s plea came just days before he was scheduled for a jury trial. —Kansas City Star, 27 Jan. 2026

And there is no right to a jury trial. —Andy Rose, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026

The truck driver was convicted of vehicular manslaughter, but the Cobles’ wrongful-death lawsuit against Caltrans, arguing that faulty freeway design led to the backup their car was in when the big rig came around the bend, was lost in a jury trial. —Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026

Moss was scheduled to appear in court two days after the shooting for a jury trial that Meyer was presiding over regarding charges dating back to 2024. —Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 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.