Amendments
Amendment VII
Constitution of the United States
Official text
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.
Proposed by Congress September 25, 1789. Ratified December 15, 1791.
In plain English
In federal civil lawsuits at common law where more than twenty dollars is at stake, either side may demand a jury trial. A fact decided by a jury may not be re-examined by a federal court except as the common law allowed.
"I consider [trial by jury] as the only anchor, ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of it's constitution."
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Thomas Paine (July 11, 1789; spelling as in the original)
Plain-English summary drafted by Christian Vote USA; editor review pending. Always read the official text above.
Bills that cite this section
No published bill analyses cite this section yet.
Learn more
- Jury Duty in Colorado (Your Rights and Duties in Colorado)
- Jury Duty in Tennessee (Your Rights and Duties in Tennessee)
- The Seventh Amendment: Civil Juries (The Bill of Rights)
Constitutional analysis on this site is educational and is not legal advice.