{"id":30938,"date":"2016-04-04T20:33:53","date_gmt":"2016-04-05T01:33:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-legal\/constitution\/amendment7.html"},"modified":"2024-08-15T20:25:45","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T01:25:45","slug":"amendment7","status":"publish","type":"constitution","link":"https:\/\/constitution.findlaw.com\/amendment7.html","title":{"rendered":"Seventh Amendment Civil Trial Rights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n \n
\n

Seventh Amendment Civil Trial Rights<\/h1>\n
\n
\n By Madison Hess, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Laura Temme, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last reviewed\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
\n

This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
\n

The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

\n

The Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guards the right to a jury trial in certain civil cases and specifies the associated rules and rights under federal law. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n

Many people associate juries with criminal cases. When they think of a jury, they imagine a judge reading a jury verdict to a criminal defendant. However, the constitutional right to a civil jury trial was recognized with the ratification of the Bill of Rights.<\/p>\r\n

The Text of the Seventh Amendment<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

The Seventh Amendment of the U.S. Constitution reads:<\/p>\r\n

"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."<\/i><\/p>\r\n

Rights Protected by the Seventh Amendment<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

The legal right to a jury trial exists in cases at common law<\/u><\/a> where the value in controversy exceeds twenty dollars. This amendment not only affirms the role of juries in determining the facts of a case but also protects the finality of their decisions, preventing re-examination by other courts except under common law rules.<\/p>\r\n

The civil trial rights and concepts outlined in the 7th Amendment of the United States Constitution<\/u><\/a> include:<\/p>\r\n