The Seventh Amendment
Text Explained
This amendment specifies when a jury or judge decides federal civil cases, such as lawsuits based on disagreements between people or businesses. A jury trial is guaranteed for civil disputes involving at least $20. It also restricts a judge from reversing the jury’s decision, except under certain conditions.
Historical Context
Watch this video and answer the question that follows.
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NARRATOR: Do you know what protections you have if you are involved in a lawsuit? The rights of the accused are guaranteed by the Constitution, such as the right to remain silent or to consult a lawyer. But one of the most important in both civil and criminal trials is the right to trial by jury—when fellow citizens consider all the evidence and arrive at an objective verdict. Let's take a look at the Seventh Amendment.
When it was first written, the Constitution only guaranteed the right to trial by jury in criminal cases, not in civil cases like when a citizen wants to sue a person or business for a non-criminal offense, such as property damage or a breach of contract.
Those who oppose the Constitution worried that not having a right to jury trials in civil cases would allow the federal courts to overturn civil cases that were best left to juries of citizens to decide and contribute to greater centralization of power at the national level.
In 1791, the Seventh Amendment was ratified and guarantees a trial by jury in all civil cases in district and federal courts. It reads in part: “In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed $20, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved.”
The Seventh Amendment prevents the Supreme Court and federal courts from reexamining the facts of a civil case on appeal. Instead, it can only affirm or overturn a decision on matters of law. Therefore, judges cannot override or manage the outcome of a trial. They must let the jury's decision stand.
The Seventh Amendment has not been widely disputed. As a result, the Supreme Court has generally protected the right to trial by jury in civil cases. But unlike most of the other protections listed in the Bill of Rights, the Seventh Amendment has not been incorporated or applied to the states. It only applies in federal courts. However, the Supreme Court has allowed limits on how much a civil jury can grant in punitive damages.
Why do you think it's important to have trials by jury for civil cases?
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