Which document guarantees the right to a jury trial?

• A. The Seventh Amendment
• B. The Seventh Amendment or statutes
• C. The First Amendment
• D. The Tenth Amendment

Answer: (B)

The right to a jury trial in civil cases comes from the Seventh Amendment in the federal system, which preserves the right to a jury in suits at common law when the amount in controversy is at stake. But states can also guarantee a jury trial through their own constitutions or statutes. So saying it’s guaranteed by the Seventh Amendment or statutes covers both the federal protection and the state-law protections, whichever forum the case is in. The First Amendment and the Tenth Amendment do not address jury trials.