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

The plea deal vacated a jury trial set to start in late July. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026

Prosecutors could choose to retry the case, enter into some kind of deal with the defendants to avoid another lengthy jury trial or drop the charges altogether. —Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026

Doe seeks a jury trial and is suing for an unspecified amount in damages including loss of earnings. —Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026

Indeed, because deportation is not considered a criminal matter, the constitutional provisions protecting those accused and convicted of crimes do not apply, including prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures, providing a lawyer and requiring a jury trial. —Erwin Chemerinsky, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 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.